Lyrium Dreams
by Danbamina
Summary: Elena Trevelyan, only daughter of house Trevelyan, has spent her life trying to break tradition and be like her elder brother Erik. When word comes of the disaster at the Conclave and the fate of her brother, she seizes her chance and takes off on an adventure like she never expected. I'm bad @ sums. CR/OC INQ/DP T for romance scenes
1. Elena and the Great Journey South

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! Oh man! I am so bad at fanfiction. I was in college and then I moved across the country and then I was depressed and then I was uninspired... blah blah blah. Like for real. I am doing MUCH better in life and am actually managing to make time for myself to write a little everyday so I should get this one finished relatively quickly. I've got the whole plot mapped already (although I might change some bits in the middle there) and everything!**

 **As always, I would totally love any and all advice. I've always been a big fan of the Dragon Age series, but I never felt inspired to write about it until I came up with this idea. My Beta is going to work with me on keeping characters as true to themselves as the fan-fiction will allow. If I horrendously break a character, please call me on it. I'm not about that life. So PLEASE feel free to read and review and leave me lots of happy love notes. Or regular notes. NO hate notes. If you feel strongly enough to say HATE, just stop reading. OKKKKKK?**

 **Here's a quick summary for ya if you've made it this far in my ramblings: Elena Trevelyan is the youngest daughter of House Trevelyan. A member of a family that has a certain level of influence in the Chantry, she has always felt like her life was mapped out for her before she was even born. Being willful and admiring her elder brother, Erik, to a fault, she strove to break these chains all her life, much to chagrin of her dear parents. Well, they aren't that dear. Her desire to break tradition leads her to Inquisition. As she settles into her roles there and gets comfortable with her routines, things start to change. Sometimes they change slowly, like the seasons, and sometimes they change rapidly, like a giant avalanche filling an entire valley with snow. Elena comes to realize, that maybe joining the Inquisition on an anger-fueled-whim wasn't such a great idea, but maybe it was also the best thing to ever happen to her.**

Lyrium Dreams

A Dragon Age Inquisition Fan-Fic

By: Dannah Carabin

 **Chapter 1**

Elena Trevelyan stared at her sword, considering the edge she'd just put on it. She ran a finger down the shimmering length experimentally. Sunlight reflected brightly back at her from the polished surface, distracted by the golden dot blazing into her eye, her finger caught on the edge, nicking the skin and causing a bead of blood to smear the surface. She grimaced as she wiped the crimson droplet away and immediately placed the injured digit into her mouth. She sucked on it, wondering about her brother who was off in Ferelden seeing to matters at the Temple of Sacred Ashes.

Erik, the second son of House Trevelyan, always got sent on the exciting errands. Their elder brother, Adrian had to remain at home to learn how to manage the household as their father aged. She, on the other hand, got relegated to simple household duties. Usually she spent her days in the kitchens and servants quarters and study keeping track of accounts, grievances, and training among other assorted menial tasks. Once a week, though, she got a day to do whatever she wanted. Today, she had gone to the local Circle to practice sword play with the Templars. She normally went to the Circle to visit the Templars on her day off. They were better company than Father and Adrian lately.

Her mother… Elena preferred to stay away from Lady Trevelyan as she personally rather disliked her mother's presence. She was always finding Elena wanting. Nothing she did was ever good enough for her mother. Becoming an accomplished warrior? Not ladylike. Learning how to manage a household? She took too long about it and wasn't hard enough with the servants. And _how_ was Lady Trevelyan to ever find a suitable husband for her when Elena spent all of her free time messing around with a sword and shield! Lady Trevelyan viewed Elena as an impossible burden, and could not begin to fathom why such a lovely, well-educated girl would even want to _consider_ doing anything other than marrying for advantage? To avoid arguments and disapproving frowns, Elena kept her distance. It kept the house peaceful.

Elena pushed open the front doors of her father's house and went inside. She looked to her left and saw Erik's face staring seriously at her from the small collection of portraits her mother kept at the household shrine. He hadn't written yet. He'd been gone for two weeks. It wasn't like him to neglect to keep her abreast of his adventures beyond Ostwick. She sighed and sucked on her injured finger again, absently. She was worried.

"Ah! Elena!" Adrian exclaimed from behind her, causing her to jump.

"Maker's Breath, Adrian!"

Adrian clapped his sister on the back, laughing "Father wishes to speak to both of us in his study immediately."

"What about?" Elena asked, reaching up to fix her brother's dark hair and shirt collar, "Word from Erik?"

"He just said it was news from Ferelden, I would assume it has something to do with Erik." Adrian placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to turn her around, "We certainly won't find out standing here speculating."

Elena rolled her eyes, "Adrian, really, you think so? I think if we stand here longer we will be struck with Divine insight and know all!"

Adrian grimaced down at her, "You really shouldn't say things like that. Father doesn't approve of your views on the Chantry as it is."

"What? That it's a bunch of stuck-up people prancing around pretending they're better than everyone just because they wear a stupid hat?"

"Just because you're mad that Father didn't send _you_ to the Temple of Sacred Ashes doesn't mean that you get to act like a spoiled brat. You know he didn't send you because…" He stopped short. "Well, you know why!"

"He didn't send me because I am a girl." Elena crossed her arms over her chest, "We all know that's why only you and Erik get to do the fun things. I'm surprised he even lets me have a sword at all."

Adrian motioned for her to walk; she did so "He can't keep you from your interests. Knowing how to fight is useful, especially in this day and age. He stood up to Mother for you about it."

"Then why doesn't he even let me go to the coast to pick up our supplies? I manage that for Mother!"

Adrian sighed, "Because he is worried you will hop on a ship and never return. You're his only daughter. He loves you."

Elena gave an obstinate sigh and stopped just before the entrance to the study, "If he loves me, he'll have to let me leave sometime. I'm already twenty one! By Mother's count I am a spinster already."

Adrian rubbed a hand across his face, "You are always like this when you come back from the Circle. What do those Templars tell you?" Elena stared at him silently. She never told anyone anything the Templars told her. She didn't plan on starting it now. "I will speak to him about letting you have more freedom outside of Ostwick when we are done here. Will that appease you, Lane?"

She considered this. Adrian had never offered to help her before. He had always staunchly supported their parents' decisions regarding her life. Deciding to trust this new side of her brother, she nodded, "Yes, but only if you speak in _favor_ of me leaving Ostwick. Otherwise, keep your big trap shut! He doesn't need you giving him _more_ 'reasons' to keep me within a couple miles of this house."

"Fine, but you will owe me a favor with the housekeeper in return."

"What do you need _this_ time?"

"I don't need anything! Well, at least not yet anyway." He stuck out his hand, "A bargain?"

Elena took it, "Isolde isn't going to like me very much if you keep destroying family heirlooms and asking her to replace them, but a bargain." She grabbed his hand and shook it firmly. " _Don't_ make me regret this."

"Me? Never!" He returned the shake, "Honestly, I'm more worried about _you_ making _me_ regret this."

"Me? Never!" She mimicked as Adrian opened the study door.

Lord Bann Trevelyan stood with his back to them, staring out of the window. He had a piece of paper in one hand. His desk was strewn with bits of parchment, quills, ink bottles, sealing wax and the like. He was an impressive man standing at around six feet in height. He had once been quite burly, but years of tending to House Trevelyan had taken some of that away. His black hair was streaked heavily with gray. The sons of Trevelyan bore a striking resemblance to their father, if softened only a little by their mother around the eyes. Lord Trevelyan had eyes as hard as emeralds that could see straight through a person to their very core. He had become a powerful man in his time in Ostwick. He was highly respected in the Chantry and Circles, giving him a nice position within Free Marcher society. Elena swallowed nervously as he cast his stony eyes on her, taking in the sword strapped to her waist with a slight, down turn of his lips. She immediately unbuckled the sword and leaned it against the wall by the door.

"Father!" Adrian greeted the man enthusiastically, walking forward and clasping the man's arm. "I have missed you of late. How was the Chantry?"

"In utter turmoil." Lord Trevelyan replied solemnly. "It seems the Conclave was a literal disaster. The Temple of Sacred Ashes is no more."

Elena rushed forward, "But Father! That can't be so! A temple of that size doesn't simply cease to exist!"

Lord Trevelyan looked at his daughter calmly, "It is as I have said. Something terrible happened there, an explosion of such magnitude that it removed the mountaintop entirely; surely you have heard the rumors of the Breach if you have been unable to see it for yourself?"

Elena shook her head, "I had heard _something_ , but… The rumors were so outrageous!"

"Father, what of Erik? Was he present at the time of the calamity? Is he still living?" Adrian interjected, bringing the conversation back.

Lord Trevelyan opened his mouth to reply but Elena cut him off, "Don't be stupid Adrian! If he was he would be dead along with everyone else!"

"If you would but hold your tongue, impudent girl!" Lord Trevelyan smacked his paper down on the desk, "I would tell you all!" He smoothed his shirt front and exhaled loudly, "Your brother was there. He fell out of the Fade. It is a mystery how he entered the Fade, much less survived and returned from it. However, it is to my knowledge that he is responsible for both the ruin of the Conclave and stabilizing the Breach. Some are even accusing him of murdering the Divine herself! As if a son from _my_ house would be capable of such a thing, much less do it!" He had begun to pace like a caged tiger, Elena could feel the anger rolling off of him. "And now! Now people are claiming he is the Herald of Andraste herself! Claiming that _She_ is the one who sent him from the Fade to seal the Breach and save us all! And yet what does the Chantry do for this, a loyal son and Andrastian? What do they do? Accuse him of murder and call him a heretic! They deny him any support in this Divine effort!" He stopped abruptly, Elena felt all of the anger and confusion go out of him like a popped bubble, "And I am left torn between duty to my family and to my faith."

After a minute of silence, Adrian spoke up, "But Father, this is easy enough. We stick to the Faith! Andraste could not have chosen Erik. Why would she choose a man to represent her? She is a woman!"

"Of this, I am aware, my son. However, that does not make it any easier for me or the family."

"What does Mother say?"

"She believes the same as you and I. Erik is _not_ the Herald of Andraste, though, he is still our family. We cannot simply ignore him and his Inquisition."

"So what do we do now?" Elena asked quietly, "Do we help Erik or do we cast ourselves amongst those of the Chantry?"

Her father and brother looked at her, matching pairs of green eyes filled with matching disbelief as they chimed in unison, "We go with the Chantry." Her father continued, "It is the right thing to do. If the Chantry changes their minds, we will be able to do more for him. In the meantime, I have my House to think about. I cannot simply ignore the calling of so many for the calling of one."

Elena spoke carefully, trying to keep the hard chill from her voice and body. It had been building up since they had made their decision. "I do not see the point of continuing this circular conversation. You have already made up your mind. Why call us in here in the first place? To simply tell us that, though our brother lives, we may not have any contact with him? To tell us that while he can help _us_ and all of Thedas, we cannot help _him_? To tell us that we should forget him until the _Chantry_ says we may remember who our family is?" She shook her head, "I am sorry, Father. I cannot accept this. He's my _brother_." She spun on her heel, yanked her sword up from its resting place, and stormed from the room.

"What am I going to do with that girl?" Lord Trevelyan asked Adrian as the door slammed behind her, "I thought giving her a sword would help. It seems to have only made her more willful."

"I do not know, Father. Perhaps she simply needs to leave Ostwick for a while? She has only ever known this place. She is young and restless." Adrian offered gently.

"Perhaps… perhaps you are right." Lord Trevelyan mused, rubbing his chin.

Elena stared through her window. Her room was cast in a comfortable silver glow from the stars and full moon outside. They were quite beautiful. She had looked at these stars all her life. Tonight, she was going to find new ones. She took a breath, shouldered her rucksack and walked on silent feet from her room. She slid a note under Adrian's door and slipped out through the servants' entrance in the back of the house. Her horse whickered to her as she entered the quiet stables. The familiar scent of hay and grain and horse sweat enveloped her like a blanket. She breathed it in deeply as she picked out plain tack for the journey. No need to be flashy. Quickly, she readied her mount and left. Casting one last glance back at her home, she was on her way.

Her horse carried her swiftly and surely to the sea port. She sold him for enough money for passage across the Waking Sea to Highever. From there, she walked to Crestwood. It was by no means an easy or uneventful journey, but she managed it with wits, cunning, and sword. Once in Crestwood, she rested. The village was plagued by undead, making rest very hard to find. However, after a day or so of being holed up in an old smuggler's den, she headed back down the road. Just as her supplies were getting low, she ran into a group of travelers headed to Haven. She gave them the last of her gold and a silver ring to stay with their group. They shared their supplies and provided company and safety in return.

They reached Haven quicker than she had anticipated. Nervously, she left her small band of companions and headed for the Chantry. Surely, someone _there_ must know her brother. She had kept quiet about her reasons to journey to Haven all throughout her trip. She had not wanted anyone to know who she was or where she came from for fear of them sending her back home to Ostwick. The only person she could trust was Erik. She sent a small prayer to the Maker that he would be inside.

She paused at the doors, one hand reaching out to touch the wood, the other clasping her shirt front just above her heart. She took a breath, and entered the candle-lit interior. This was a perfectly regular Chantry. A long space stretched before her leading to a door in the back. Two large alcoves opened on either side of her, cut off by rooms closer to the back. A Mother stood in quiet conversation with a Dwarf. As she walked further in, she could hear some bickering coming from the room at the back. Hesitantly, suddenly unsure of herself, she knocked on the door. Nothing happened. The Mother didn't even stop her conversation to look up. The bickering continued. Elena steeled herself and knocked louder, with more force this time.

The bickering stopped. The door opened, and she was looking at a younger version of her father standing with his back to three people. His blue eyes widened in shock, and then his whole face split into a welcoming grin as he ran the few steps towards her.

"ELENA!" He cried joyfully, wrapping her in his arms and spinning around, "Dear sister! How I have missed you!"

"Erik!" She choked out, "Put me down!"

He stopped spinning her and placed her on her feet. He reached out and straightened her coat, "Sorry, Lane. I couldn't help myself." He ruffled her hair and pulled her against his side, "You have to meet everyone!" He turned her to face the three people she had noticed briefly, "May I present the Lady Elenea Trevelyan!" He said grandly, shoving her forward. "This is Lady Leiliana, our Spymaster, and Lady Josephine Montilyet, our Ambassador, and Commander Cullen Rutherford, our commander."

"We are enchanted to make your acquaintance, Lady Elena." Josephine said, giving a slight bow of her head. She had black hair and olive skin. Judging from that, her accent, and the manner of her dress, Elena assumed she was from Antiva. Josephine held a clipboard with a stac of parchment, ink bottle, and candle on it. She was busy taking notes.

"Indeed, I was not aware that the Herald had any siblings at all." Leiliana stated coolly. Leiliana had the stoic demeanor of a member of the Chantry, and as Elena recalled, she should. After all, wasn't Leiliana the Left Hand of Divine Justinia? She was clad in chain mail with a cowl covering her red hair. She stood with careful authority and confidence. This woman was truly the most unusual member of the Chantry Elite that Elena had ever encountered.

"The pleasure is all ours, I am sure." Cullen added with a gentle nod. Elena was struck by this man. He was handsome. She had never thought a man handsome in all her days. He had blonde hair and golden-brown eyes. A small scar ran down the right ride of his upper lip. A striking cowl encircled his armored shoulders. The armor he wore was indicative of a Templar, and yet she had never heard any Templars speak of him. He stood with one hand resting on a sword hilt, the other touching the large wooden table in front of him. He gave her a small smile and resumed pondering the map on the table.

"I'm certain the pleasure is all mine." Elena replied in her most-mannerly voice, giving the gathered people an award-winning curtsy. "Though, I'm afraid I've interrupted an important discussion in my haste to see my brother again. I'm terribly sorry. I'll take my leave." She tried to exit the room, but Erik looped an arm around her shoulders.

"Not so fast, Lane. Does Father know you are here?" He gave her a stern look.

Elena shifted uncomfortably on her feet, now came the moment of truth and it came tumbling from her mouth like a dam had broken inside of her throat, "No. He doesn't. He didn't want to help you because of the Chantry. I couldn't just sit by and not do _anything_ when I could be helpful! You're doing the right thing, but Father won't even so much as entertain the idea of being of assistance to you as long as the Chantry calls you heretic!" She looked away, embarrassed by her outburst in front of these important people, and fearful of how he might react to her, she whispered "So… I ran away."

"How did you manage to do _that?_ " Erik hissed.

"I… I sold my horse and that ring mother gave me when I turned of age." Her voice was barely an audible breath. She realized she had been a fool to believe Erik would just go against years of their father's teachings about how she was to be treated as a daughter of House Trevelyan.

Erik ran a hand through his hair and looked at the gathered people, he cleared his throat, "I'm afraid something has come up. Shall we continue this discussion after supper?" There was an utterance of mutual acceptance and then Erik was whisking her from the room. "What in the name of Andraste herself were you _thinking_!? You sold your horse and just thought 'Oh! I'll go see Erik since I don't agree with Father!'" He pulled her into a small bedroom and closed the door, "Of all the half-baked mad things you have ever conceived to do in your life, _this_ is by _far_ the maddest of them all!" He paced around the room quickly, refusing to look at her, "And here I was thinking 'Gee, maybe Father has some sense in him. He sent Elena! She must have brought something with her. I'm so glad he's moved beyond that whole Chantry nonsense!'" He stopped and stared at her, "What, Elena, tell me, _what_ were you thinking!?"

"I already _told_ you! I was thinking that if Father was too far up the Chantry's arse to do the right thing and help you the least I could do was come and help you myself!" She sat down on the bed and turned away from him moodily, "Everyone thinks that just because I'm a _girl_ I can't do anything. Or I shouldn't do anything. I should just stay at home, get married, and have lots of babies. That's all anyone thinks I can do!"

Erik groaned loudly, "You don't join the Inquisition to prove you're a capable human, Elena! It's dangerous to be a part of this!"

"That's not what I meant! I can help you! I'm a good fighter; I beat Ostwick's best Templar in a practice duel the last time I went! I'm obviously able to take care of myself. I got from Ostwick to Highever to Crestwood to half-way here to Haven on my own! With my own sword, my own money, and my own things! Erik, I _want_ to join the Inquisition! I thought it was all just a crazy rumor, but then Father told us it was all _true_ …" She heaved a sigh and pushed her knuckles into her burning eyes, "Erik. You don't understand what it's like to be stuck somewhere, knowing you can do something for the good of the world, and not being able to do anything about it." She took a deep breath, "I just thought, that if I was ever going to get a chance to do something like this, well, this was the only one I was going to get. I want to help you save the world."

"You're not going to prove anything by getting yourself killed, Elena. You've got to go home." Erik told her sternly, but she could see his resolve was cracking.

"If you send me away, I'm not going to go home. I'll make my own way. Maybe I'll go to Redcliffe, or back to Highever, or even Crestwood, but I won't go back to Ostwick!" She stood up and stalked over to him, "So the only way you'll know if I'm safe and alive and be able to avoid Father's wrath is to let me stay here and join the Inquisition. It's the right thing to do. You know it. I know it. Even Father knows it. So stop arguing with me and tell me where my tent is."

Erik stared into her eyes, "I'm not going to be able to send you home? Even if I send you with an escort?"

She shook her head, "No. I'll kill the escort if I need to."

Erik blinked, taken aback, "You're really serious about that, aren't you?"

Elena stared blankly at him, "Do I look like I'm joking?" She sighed "I'm twenty one and I've never been outside of Ostwick. I'm not going back. So your choices are, once again, I can stay here and work with you where you can keep an eye on me, _or_ I can murder an escort and be lost to the wilds of Ferelden forever."

Erik considered this, "When you put it that way…. You can join. You room with me. This is our room. I'll have a cot brought in for you. Put your things there. First thing tomorrow morning, you report to Cullen for orders." He headed for the door.

"What do I do until then, Herald?"

He stopped in the open door and said over his shoulder, "You've had a long journey. Stay here and rest up. I'll send a person around to help you with whatever you need. After today, my Lady Elena, you will be a full soldier. Enjoy your last day as a noble." Erik closed the door behind him with a finalizing click.

"Well… that went… better than I expected. Good job thinking on your feet there Elena. Real good job." She flopped down on the bed and was asleep in minutes.


	2. Elena and the Impromptu Dinner Proposal

**Author's Note** **: AND JUST LIKE YOU ARE AT CHAPTER TWO! OH MY GOSH I HOPE YOU LOVE CULLEN AS MUCH AS I DO! I TRIED SO HARD ON HIM! I MEAN I WROTE THIS THING PROBABLY TEN TIMES BEFORE I FELT LIKE IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO HIM TO WORK! ENJOOOOOOOYYYYYY! Read and Review (NICELY!).**

 **Chapter 2**

Elena spent the next morning down in the training yard. Cullen was putting her through her paces trying to figure out exactly what she did and did not know. She couldn't believe her good fortune to be a part of Inquisition's forces. This was a worthy endeavor and surely to end up in the history books and she was going to be a part of it. At times it felt like the commander was trying to get her to break and give up, some of these exercises were absolutely absurd. When the other recruits complained, Cullen would inform them in no uncertain terms that not only were they fighting people, they were also fighting mages and demons and quite possibly other types of monsters they weren't aware of. They must be prepared for anything, or risk dying. They'd be no use to the Inquisition dead.

Around midday came a break in the sheathed her blunted practice sword and walked towards a table where food was being served.

As she was waiting in line, she heard the commander's voice call to her. "Lady Trevelyan. A word."

She sighed and headed for him, "Yes, Commander?"

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm sorry, Commander, I don't understand the question."

"How is training?"

She shrugged, "It's training. Nothing the Templars haven't put me through already."

"You trained with Templars?" His eyebrows raised in incredulity, "That would explain your abilities."

She gave a slight shrug, adjusting herself so she was standing with most of her weight on one leg. She crossed her arms over her chest, "I worked hard. My family is very connected with the Chantry and Templars. They were more than happy to take me on once they learned they'd get a sizable… donation from my father in return for the training. I made sure not to take the opportunity for granted."

Cullen nodded, "I'm sure your Knight Commander appreciated that kind of work ethic."

"I didn't train under the Knight Commander. I just asked whoever was around to teach me. They're not really set up for training in Ostwick. It's more like exercise to keep themselves sharp. Of course, we don't have a large need for Templars since the Rebellion. Most of our mages left to join it."

"You're very talkative, my lady."

"It runs in the family." Elena said as a quiet apology.

"Indeed. I've noticed that about your brother as well."

"Commander, what did you need me for? It's not that I don't enjoy chatting with you; it's just that I'm hungry."

"Ah. Yes. I don't think you need as much training as the new recruits. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind me putting you to use in other ways?"

She smirked, "And by 'other ways' you mean…?" She gave him a flirtatious wink.

Cullen was visibly taken aback, "What? Not like—"He wiped a hand across his eyes, "Perhaps you can help the recruits learn how to be proper soldiers. There's a lot to being part of an army that I and my generals simply don't have the time to teach them."

"That doesn't sound too bad. What would I have to do?"

"You will practice with us during the morning, and in the afternoon you will need to teach the recruits how to maintain their armor, weapons, and gear. Once we secure mounts for the army, you can help us teach them to ride. I assume you know how to ride a horse?" He paused and waited for her. Elena nodded, "All right. While we wait for our mounts, you can also teach them how to set up and break down camps."

Elena considered all of this and then said slowly, "I take it this isn't really a request, more like a polite order?"

Cullen smiled, "You are a good soldier, aren't you?" He said in an almost teasing manner.

She threw her arms up in the air, "That's it. You caught me. I am the best soldier that ever soldiered in the history of soldier-dom, sir. Can I go eat now?"

"Of course, your duties begin after lunch. Start with weapons maintenance." Cullen instructed and they parted ways.

Elena took a dagger from the last recruit around the brazier in one of the small tents surrounding the practice field, "Keep practicing with the whetstone. This would work in a pinch, but it'll lose that edge quickly if it comes up against armor more than once." She handed it back to him hilt first, "I'll check it again tomorrow afternoon to see if you've improved it." The recruit thanked her and started walking away, muttering, "And don't think about asking one of Harrit's men to do it for you. They've all been sworn off recruits' daggers for a week!" She called after him.

She stood in silence looking out at the landscape, listening to the sounds of the practice field behind her. Metal clanged against metal and wood with soft, familiar sounds. She could hear Cullen and his generals getting onto the lazier soldiers and wondered what they were doing wrong. She watched a druffalo chase a ram away from a spot of grazing across the lake. Life at Haven had taken on a comfortable routine quickly. She'd only been there for a couple of weeks and already Haven felt more like home than Ostwick and her father's house ever had. It felt good to be useful. She loved getting to practice with her weapons every day. Cullen had moved her into a more advanced group and she was enjoying the challenge. Her own position as a teacher kept her from getting bored or exhausted from the training schedule in the peaceful little town. She was glad to just stand and enjoy the world around her.

When the sounds of a dismissal rang from the field a couple of minutes later, Elena turned and started to close the tent's flap. However, the tie was stuck. "Oh come on! Not again!" She pried at it with her fingernails, "Marston always does this! He ties it too tight!" She grumbled pulling out individual fibers, but somehow only managing to make the knot tighter, "And it's never in a slip knot. We're starting a round of knot tying for sure now!" She gasped as her fingers slipped and her thumb nail bit into the bed beneath her middle finger's nail, "Maker's Breath that hurts!" She sucked on her injured middle finger and grimaced at the tent flap. "I'm going to have to cut this tie _again_." She mumbled to herself around her finger.

"Do you need help, my lady?" Cullen's refined voice cut through her heated frustration like a cool breeze.

She blushed and took her finger from her mouth, "Commander! No! I just… yes." She admitted sheepishly, backing a step away and looking down at the ground, hands clasped behind her back. "It's just Recruit Marston. You see, he always ties this too tight and—"

Cullen cut her off, "I understand." He pulled out his belt knife, "No need to worry. It's only a bit of rope. We can get another one." He slashed the tie and let the flap fall. "There you are. Is your finger all right?"

She looked up at him, "Yes. I just pinched too hard and my thumb nail got under my other nail. It's done hurting now."

"Are you sure? You're acting strangely."

"I am?"

"Yes. You've never been this awkward towards me before."

"Erik told me to be more respectful towards you, sir." She whispered, ashamed that her brother had had to chastise her about her rather casual manner with the commander of the Inquisitions forces. He had been right. A man of that rank deserved more than what she had been giving him. Sarcasm was not the way to speak to your commanding officer.

Cullen looked at her for a long moment, his warm brown eyes searching her face carefully, "To be honest, my lady, I rather enjoyed your boldness. No one speaks to me like a man anymore." He looked away, at the western horizon, "Sun's starting to go down." He observed.

Elena couldn't help herself, "It does that every day sir. It usually means that it's about to be night time."

Cullen looked shocked, and then he began chuckling as he walked beside her, "Is that the time when it is dark outside? And there is no sun? And everyone goes to sleep?"

"Very good, sir!" She complimented, joining in with his chuckles. After a minute their chuckles died down to silence. Elena looked over at him as their feet crunched on the gravely ground. She wondered if he had even stopped for their midday meal. He often could be seen poring over papers and maps at that time. She bit her lip and came to a stop in front of the door to The Singing Maiden. _Empress of Fire_ could be heard drifting through the wooden walls. She turned to face him fully as he came to stop beside her.

"Well, my lady, are you going in for a drink and a hot meal?" He inquired politely.

She nodded, "Yes. I am. Maker knows I need a drink after the lesson I had today with Corporal Cayleif." She rubbed her neck awkwardly. How was this good bye taking so long? Normally with the other men around camp she'd get where she was going and say something like 'Well. This is me. See you tomorrow.' They would respond in kind and that would be it. Why was saying goodbye to Cullen such a strange experience. It was almost like he didn't want to leave.

"Was he too hard on you?" Cullen queried, a slight line of worry appearing between his eyebrows.

"Not at all, he just had new things for me to learn today and I'm afraid I wasn't very good. He really put me through my paces!" Elena watched as Cullen visibly relaxed, "Well… I'm going in for some food and drink now. Kind of strange to be standing in the doorway with you like this, isn't it?"

"I suppose you're right. Enjoy your meal." He gave her a nod of the head and began to leave, hands pushed against his lower back, face turned to the sky. Her heart gave a tug.

"Unless—" She cut herself off, having startled herself by speaking at all. Cullen stopped and turned to face her, one eyebrow raised, waiting for her to finish her sentence, "Unless… you want to join me?" She had to physically restrain herself from slapping her palm to her forehead in embarrassment.

Cullen eyes widened in what appeared to be shock and he gave a low whistle as he considered this proposal, "That sounds well enough to me. You're sure you want to dine with me?"

Elena put her hands on her hips and huffed, "I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure, now would I? Come on inside out of this cold and eat some hot food. You'll sleep better on a full stomach at least." Cullen rejoined her and they both walked into the Singing Maiden for the night.

 **Author's note:** **Here you are! At the end of Chapter 2! ALREADY! WOW! I try to post in batches so you'll have PLENTY to read! Plus, that's kind of how I tend to write. In nice little batches. Like muffins. Or cupcakes. Or cookies. You get it. ANYWAY! I hope you enjoyed Chapters 1 and 2! I've included a SPECIAL SNEAK PEEK at Chapter 3. It's not much, but HOPEFULLY it is a nice little bread crumb for you. Peace and blessings. -Danbamina**

 **Chapter 3**

Elena woke the next morning with gentle care. Her body came slowly and comfortably awake. She stretched in her cot luxuriating in the simple pleasure a warm bed supplied. The hearth fire, which had burned low, gave a couple half-hearted crackles. Erik snored gently. He had gotten in late the previous night, back from the Storm Coast at last. He had brought with him a mercenary band called the Bull's Chargers. They had stayed up late going over his adventures. Erik was excited to bring the Chargers onto the Inquisition, even if he felt they were too expensive. Their leader, Iron Bull, was a giant, battle axe wielding Qunari who was going to be one of Erik's personal guards for future missions. She envied her brother his adventurous role in the Inquisition. What she wouldn't give to go and see the places he told her about, to do the things he spoke of! She sighed and rolled over, pulling her pillow against her body and found her mind wandering to her dinner with Cullen.


	3. Elena and the Mission

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: HELLLLLLOOOOOO! Sorry it took so long to finish this chapter. I got REALLY busy with my teaching career and THEN Red Dead Redemption 2 came out AND THEN it was Halloween AND THEN I couldn't figure out where to go with a part of this so... yeah. That sentence was a MAJOR run-on. I'm not going to fix it because I am lazy and you've guys have waited long enough for Chapter 3. Currently, as you're reading this, I am working on Chapter 4 because MAN! I AM ON A ROLL! I AM SO EXCITED! !**

 **Chapter 3**

Elena woke the next morning with gentle care. Her body came slowly and comfortably awake. She stretched in her cot luxuriating in the simple pleasure a warm bed supplied. The hearth fire, which had burned low, gave a couple half-hearted crackles. Erik snored gently. He had gotten in late the previous night, back from the Storm Coast at last. He had brought with him a mercenary band called the Bull's Chargers. They had stayed up late going over his adventures. Erik was excited to bring the Chargers onto the Inquisition, even if he felt they were too expensive. Their leader, Iron Bull, was a giant, battle axe wielding Qunari who was going to be one of Erik's personal guards for future missions. She envied her brother his adventurous role in the Inquisition. What she wouldn't give to go and see the places he told her about, to do the things he spoke of! She sighed and rolled over, pulling her pillow against her body and found her mind wandering to her dinner with Cullen.

They had a lovely conversation about sword play and battle tactics. They even spoke about the plans for the future of the Inquisition's growing army. Cullen wanted to build a proper barracks where the practice courts were now and move the courts to somewhere else. He hadn't figured that part out yet, so plans for the barracks had been stalled until such time as he could finalize the logistics. They had both been equally pleased with the mounts Erik had brought back from Redcliffe Farms, not to mention the accomplished horse master that came with them. Master Dennett, they agreed, surely knew a thing or two about horseflesh. Cullen was also impressed at how much her brother and his fellow advisors had managed to get accomplished in such a small amount of time. He had seen plenty of armies raised, but none had ever been raised with such speed and efficiency before. Elena thought this was due to the skill of the heads of the Inquisition, whereas Cullen had felt it was more due to immediacy of the threat of the Breach. They had bickered about this for a while until finally agreeing that perhaps it was a bit of both and really, they should just enjoy their ale and the fire. They had not spoken of anything personal, yet she felt like she knew him better for their time together. Perhaps she would suggest he try a meal with all of his soldiers at some point. Getting to know your Commander couldn't possibly be a negative thing, could it?

She yawned and sat up, stretching with a comfortable groan. She scratched her stomach as she stood and cast about for her training clothes. They were where she had left them the previous day, draped neatly over the back of a chair. She slid into the comfortable gear happy to be headed to work with her weapons and comrades. She laced up her boots, tightening the leather around her calves and ankles for extra support beneath her hardened-leather greaves. She ran a brush through her hair and reset the braid that ran behind her left ear, keeping her bangs from her face. Next, she blessed her teeth with a cleaning and gathered her weapons. A set of flat daggers went into their sheaths at the small of her back, against the insides of her forearms, and the insides of her ankles. Next she buckled on her sword belt. From her left hip hung her sword and, from her right, her long knife. She picked up her shield and slung it across her back. Finally ready she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

She set out at a gentle jog to get down to the practice court in good time. She waved at Varric as she passed him starting his fire and getting ready to watch the sunrise. Elena had taken to meeting Recruit Reeves, Marston, and Porteur for breakfast. They were good company in the mornings and she felt she may become more than just comrades with them. She had recently learned their first names and felt closer to them almost immediately. However, during training and other such times, they all still preferred to be referred to by their surnames in order to keep things simpler. Arriving at the group of huts used to house the recruits in training Elena leaned one shoulder against a wall and looked at the sky, trying to predict the weather for the day. It looked like it would be another cold, but sunny, day, as was usual for Haven this time of the year. She felt it odd that such a terrible tragedy had happened not too far from this peaceful little town. Even with an army amassing behind its wooden walls Haven had a certain charm that, if a person allowed themselves to, would cause a body to forget the strange and frightening things going on in the greater world beyond.

Elena was jolted from her reverie by a smack on the shoulder, sending her forward a couple of steps, "My lady Elena!" Porteur called out jovially as Reeves helped her steady herself, "What're you doing just standing here? There's fasts to break!"

"Shut up, Porteur. Nobody feels like listening to you this morning." Marston grumbled as he rubbed his rugged face groggily and gave Elena a polite nod, "Trevelyan."

"Marston. Sleep well, gentlemen?" Elena inquired of her two male comrades as she and Reeves began walking away.

"You know the men don't go to bed until it's so late they might as well say 'Good morning' to each other." Reeves teased them. "Thank goodness the Inquisition lets women join its ranks or the whole army wouldn't be worth its salt."

"Hey! We all go to bed at the same time every night. That's an order from Commander Cullen." Porteur turned to Elena, "But since you asked, I did sleep well, thank you. Marston, though, had a rough night. He had mid-watch. To hear him tell it he couldn't sleep before or after for worrying."

"It was my first time. They're turning us all into watch men now that we can handle swords like proper soldiers. You'll start your watch duty soon enough, Porteur, then you'll know what it's like to have the weight of everyone in Haven's lives depending on your eyes and ears being alert." Marston protested, sticking his hands in his belt loops, "I'm just glad I got switched to first watch for tonight. I should sleep like a baby after all of this." Marston ducked under the flap for the mess tent. The sight and smell of food closed all of their mouths.

The next several hours went by quickly. Elena's comrades had moved up into her training group a couple of days prior and she was having fun putting them through their paces. They all had a good time training together. It was interesting to see how the same training she received was put to use differently by each member of their little group. Porteur, usually loud and rather boisterous, became stoic and calculated with a sword in his hand. Marston, usually level-headed, if a bit grumpy, turned into a fierce fighter, unafraid to take an extra risk to get the upper hand. Reeves, slight and quiet, was able to quickly assess a situation and turn it to her advantage with very minimal effort. Elena couldn't tell if her fighting style was representative of her personality or at odds with it. She just knew she could defend herself with grace in a fight. She just wasn't sure if she would be able to outside of these familiar opponents.

After combat training, they all went to back to the mess tent to enjoy a hard-earned lunch. They were to begin riding their horses today. Cullen had asked her to help teach the less-experienced recruits in basic horsemanship. Today, she had been assigned the task of teaching them how to groom, tack, and ride their horses at a walk and trot. The recruits would have to learn quickly if they wanted to be a part of the Inquisition. Battles of varying sizes were happening all across Thedas every day, and they were becoming more frequent as the tensions between the mages and Templars grew in Ferelden. She didn't even want to think about what was going on in Orelais with the civil war. All she knew was that a breaking point was coming and soon. The thought loomed over everyone in Haven like an unseen shadow.

Shaking herself of these thoughts, she turned in her now empty plate, and headed for the stables. Her comrades had already saddled their horses and were walking them past her. They waved at her, too tired for words, as they passed. She gave them her own tired wave and went into the corrals. A small gathering of recruits loitered around the fence nearest the horses, obviously unsure of what to do with the tethered animals.

"Recruits!" She called out, "Come with me briefly for your lesson." She waved them over to a horse that was tethered a bit farther from the others. She swiftly demonstrated the proper grooming techniques, explaining about brushes and horse care as she went. The recruits watched her silently, occasionally stopping her to ask a question or two. When she was finished she dropped her brush back into a bucket hanging from a fence post and motioned at the other horses, "Pick a horse and get to work. I'll come around and inspect them as you go. Once they're all groomed to my satisfaction we can put saddles on them and get to riding. Dismissed."

The gathered people scurried over to their horses and got to work. They had few problems. _After all, brushing a horse isn't a difficult thing to master._ Elena thought with a slight chuckle. She helped a couple of them with picking up hooves and then gave them a quick lesson in saddling up. They were dismissed back to their mounts and managed to saddle them rather quickly for a first attempt. Next, Elena demonstrated basic riding posture, commands, and movements. It wouldn't do to have them bouncing about like sacks of potatoes and tiring out their mounts unnecessarily. In this manner, the afternoon passed even faster than the morning had. By the end of it, she was completely drained. Her body ached, she was covered in a fine layer of sweat and grime, and her patience was entirely used up. After making sure the horses had been properly taken care of she wanted nothing more than to return to the Chantry and take a nice, warm bath. However, this was not meant to be because she, like her comrades had watch duty that night. Luckily, she was given the last watch so she could take a rest after dinner.

On her way out of the corral she heard Cullen's familiar voice call out to her, "How was training, my lady?"

Elena rolled her eyes and snapped, "Perfect sir. I just love getting up at the crack of dawn every day and slaving away to teach idiots how to tell their left from their right when on a horse." Cullen blinked at her in surprise. She sighed and pushed loose hairs away from her face, "I'm sorry. I'm just tired. It really wasn't bad at all. Was there something you needed from me?" He shook his head, "Well, then, I'm off to eat." She turned to go, giving him a farewell wave.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" He said, causing her to turn back to face him, "Your brother wishes to see you. He's waiting for you in the command tent."

"I see. Thank you for delivering the message." She waved again and headed for the command tent. When she got there, Erik gave her a hug and then held her at arm's length, examining her face critically.

"Lane, you look awful." He told her bluntly.

"Please, Erik, do tell me something I _don't_ know. What do you need? I've got a hot meal with my name on it waiting for me."

"Ah yes." He began, putting on a business-like air, "I've noticed that you're becoming a rather adept soldier. I may have an assignment for you outside of Haven if you want to leave for a little and test your mettle." He gave her a wink, "That is, if you're not too scared?"

Elena stepped away from him, excitement flooding through her and waking her up. "What? Really?"

"Really. I've got some scouting that needs doing in the Fallow Mire, but I need to keep securing our foothold in the Hinterlands. Since I can't be two places at once, I figured the second Trevelyan could go and see about the Fallow Mire before we send in a regiment to hold it." He grinned at her, "I hear there are some pretty spooky things in that bog."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh please. You can't honestly think I'd balk at some ghost story about a swamp. Who am I bringing with me?"

"I take it that you accept this mission then." Erik said with a knowing smile, "Have you made any friends among the recruits?"

Elena shrugged, "Not so much as of yet, but we're getting there."

"Who are they?"

"Carrina Reeves, Mathias Porteur, and William Marston," she ticked them off on her fingers as she went, "All good with their weapons and dependable folk."

Erik nodded, "Sounds like you've got a crew then. You may take them along with you and I'll send some more seasoned soldiers along as well. You'll take a joint-lead position with Corporal Smythe until he feels you are ready to lead on your own. You could be gone for a couple of weeks, pack accordingly."

Elena blinked; she couldn't believe her luck at this sudden turn of events in her life. "When do we leave?"

"At first light, I'll let everyone in your party know as well." He reached out and placed a broad hand on her shoulder, searching her face, his business-like manner dropping away entirely, "You're absolutely sure you're ready for this? Once you leave Haven there is no turning back."

She nodded, smiling broadly, "Of course I am! This is all I've ever wanted, Erik!" She reached up and covered his hand with hers, "I finally get to _do_ something for once. I'd never get this opportunity anywhere else; I don't intend to waste it."

Erik pulled her into a rough hug, pressing her hard against his chest, "Lane, when did you grow up and become a woman?" He breathed, "A couple of years ago you wouldn't have dared set foot in a place like the Fallow Mire and now… I don't think wild horses could stop you."

"An arch demon couldn't stop me." She said with conviction, "I want to be useful, Erik. If this is how I can be useful then, by the Maker's will, I'm going to do it." She brushed his arms off feeling strangely calm, "I better be off. I've got packing and a watch to manage before dawn."

He blinked at her, obviously confused, "You have a watch tonight?"

She nodded, "Last watch. I'll make sure to go to sleep soon so I can be rested for my journey. It's only four hours."

"Are you sure you want to take it? I can have someone else assigned to it…" He trailed off seeing the mulish expression on her face, "Or not. That's fine, too." He held up his hands in surrender, "I know that look all too well to push this any further."

Elena relaxed, "Good. Then we've reached an agreement at last. Will you see me off tomorrow?"

"Of course I will. I'd be a terrible big brother if I didn't at least say goodbye properly before sending you off into dangerous swamps."

"Then I will see you tomorrow morning." With that she left the tent and bumped into Cullen, "I'm sorry, Commander! I didn't see you there!" She apologized straightening herself as she backed away.

"Did I just hear that correctly? You're going to the Fallow Mire tomorrow on a scouting mission?" He inquired, something akin to worry but closer to concern creasing his forehead.

Elena nodded and proudly puffed herself up, "Erik wants me to go and represent the Inquisition. We're trying to set up a regiment there to hold it."

Cullen blustered, "Yes, yes, I know that. I'm just confused as to why he would send _you_ of all people to a gods-forsaken place like that." He pushed a hand through his hair, shook his head, and added in a barely audible whisper, "Surely he has gone mad..." He trailed off, looking more through her than at her.

Elena felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle as her entire body became tight with anger, "What's that supposed to mean?" She gritted out in the least-upset voice she could manage. "Am I not good enough to send on missions?" She crossed her arms, scowling at him.

"I'm sorry, my lady, if I offend you. I just… Well, I wouldn't have sent you."

She noticeably bristled at him and then her anger settled over her like an icy blanket. She felt her voice harden as it softened into a deadly whisper, "Listen here, Commander Rutherford. I don't intend to sit here all day everyday taking lessons from Templars who've nothing left to teach me and just throw me into endless practice duels and then baby sit a bunch of know-nothing half-wits while you and your officers go off and actually do things worthwhile. I've paid my dues, I'm still paying my dues, and I fully intend to keep paying them in whatever manner _my brother_ sees fit so long as I am with the Inquisition. You may command the army, but I am not just a regular soldier. I am the sister of the Herald of Andraste, without whom you wouldn't have a half of a snowflake's chance in hell of closing the Breach. So when he decides that I am ready for a mission, I fully intend to follow through with his wishes and I won't allow _you_ or _anyone_ to stop me from doing so."

She spun on her heel and left him there, looking as if she had just slapped him smartly across the face. About half-way into her packing it hit her exactly what had happened. The words she had said. The way she had said them, here was the one man in the world that she shouldn't upset if she wanted to stay in Haven and she had just… _Shit_. Elena sank her head into hands. _What a fool I am!_ She shook her head slowly from side to side. There must be a way to salvage this situation. Though, she could think of none. Presently, there was a tap on the door.

"Trevelyan? You in there?" Marston's voice came through the door clearly.

Elena went to open it, "What do you need, Marston?"

He greeted her with a smile and scratched his beard-covered chin awkwardly, "So you're sending us into the Mire."

It was a statement rather than a question. Elena stepped away from the door, permitting him to enter, "Yes. I see Erik spoke to you."

"That he did. That he did." Marston took a seat on Erik's bed and gave it an experiemental bounce, "Cushy… Anyway, I'll cut to the chase. I saw your name on the watch list for tonight. I just wanted to come here and double-check with you."

"Double check what?"

"Oh, that you're actually still sane and certain you want to travel into that horror-ridden swamp."

Elena rolled her eyes, this again, "Just because you've heard ghost stories about plagues and undead and the like, doesn't mean they're true. For all we know, none of it is. It could actually be sunny and filled with nothing but rainbows and butterflies!"

Marston openly laughed, "I can tell you're not from Ferelden! That place has constant rain. The entire place was so horrible of a place to live in that it cost entire families their lives. We know this is true because some of the residents from that failed attempt to colonize the Mire made it back alive. They told us what awaits people there. It's not my idea of a good time."

"So? Some crazy swamp people come back telling you crazy swamp stories and you're just going to believe them without having seen it for yourself?"

Marston rubbed the back of his neck and got up from the bed. "Listen, Elena, you've got to take that place seriously."

"It's _just_ a swamp!"

"Technically, it's a bog." Marston held up a finger stopping her mid-retort, "And it's not just any bog—or swamp! It's haunted. It's riddled with undead. Plus, there's rumors of Avaar lurking around it lately."

"Where are you going with this? If you're trying to convince me to back us all out of the mission, then you're wasting your breath."

"Where I'm going is the Fallow Mire. What I'm trying to say is be careful. You don't know what you're getting us into. Reeves and Porteur don't even really know. Porteur is from Orlais; Reeves is an elf from Maker knows where." He paused and seemed to steel himself, "I just wouldn't want to see you getting hurt. I… couldn't bear it." His eyes met hers steadily, but something in them seemed a bit desperate. "Do you… know what I mean?"

She nodded, "Yes, yes. You want me to take the mission more seriously so nobody gets hurt. Of course, that's what I'm doing. I just don't take _you_ seriously when you come in here trying to lecture me on basic knowledge of the Mire. It's all in my official orders."

Marston shook his head, "If you say so." He walked away and out of the door, still shaking his head and mumbling to himself about how women are hopeless in a leadership position.

"Well, that was rude of him." She glanced through the window and noticed the angle of the shadows, "Oh no! Got to finish packing!"

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, so once again, THANK YOU! For waiting! ALSO! Thanks to all my lovely followers! I really appreciate you! PLUS! THANKS TO MY REVIEWERS! I love reading reviews. It's probably my favorite thing besides writing the story. The story is definitely my favorite and BOY! Does Elena feel bad about being rude to Cullen. She has got a temper on her and absolutely no control over it. Bless her. And what's with Marston (see, Red Dead? YEP SHAMELESS SURNAME STEALING) being all "Oh Well. Dont' take us to the spooky bog and get us all hurt because that would mean you get hurt and that would make me sadddddd." Elena doesn't get that he thinks she's kind of dreamy. I mean, she is, but dude's got nothing on Cullen. AND OH MAN AM I EXCITED FOR YOU GUYS TO READ NEXT CHAPTER! It's got romance, danger, daring, and a battle! YES! We get to see our dear girl actually use these skills she talks about all the time. However, I will warn you now, I am still working on combat writing, so bear with me. This story is really going to see me develop in it as we go along... that's the goal anyway.**

 **ANYWAY! Enough blathering on. Let me get back to writing. I hope you guys really enjoyed the latest chapter and I'll see you again soon!**

 **PS: Thanks for putting up with my rambling. Loooove yooou!** -Danbamina


	4. Elena Goes Camping

**Author's Note: SEE! I wasn't lying last night! XD I had just reached a point where I was like "Gonna upload this for my followers. They have been so amazingly patient with me and my crazy life." So yeah. Here is Chapter 4. It however, was getting TOO LONG so I stopped it. Chapter 5 things should get spicy with battles and what-not. ANNNNNYYYYYWAAAAAY enjoy!**

 **Chapter 4**

Elena sat on the low stone wall at the forge by the stables, watching the sun come up over the frozen lake. Her eyes were itchy and dry. Her feet ached from standing all night. She was pretty sure that if she were to actually allow herself to sit down, she would immediately fall asleep. She hadn't managed to get her packing done in time for a good, long nap before dinner or her watch. Though, she did sneak in two hours of sleep. She had managed to drink several large mugs of invigorating tea this morning, so she felt a bit like her soul was going to erupt from her weary body. She realized around the second hour of her watch that her life was about to change dramatically and that had kept her awake and alert through the rest of her watch. However, now that knowledge weighed heavily on her. She was going to have to spend all day in the saddle traveling through unfamiliar country while helping lead the scouting party. Sure, there were only about ten people all-told in the party, but she only knew three of them. She felt a little bit overwhelmed by it all. Elena had never been one to make friends quickly. She gulped the last of the tea she held in her hands and put the mug down on the stones next to her.

Taking a deep breath in, she eased herself off the stone wall and walked to the corral. Elena retrieved her horse and began preparing it for the journey. Others were arriving as well, rubbing their eyes and stretching. Most nodded a greeting, which she returned. Some ignored her while still others muttered a quiet hello. Soon, everyone had arrived and was getting mounted up. Erik arrived and stood with both fists braced against his hips, feet spread wide in a heroic stance. He was grinning broadly at Elena and the company.

"Soldiers! Today! You are leaving the safety of Haven for the uncertainty of Ferelden and the Fallow Mire. You've all heard the stories coming out of that miserable bog. The Inquisition needs you to go and make our presence known. We need more lands and there are resources we need that can only be found there. Remember your training, keep your wits about you, and listen to your leaders. You'll survive to explore another day if you can do those three things." He announced grandly with true purpose ringing in his voice. Elena had never heard him speak this way to anyone about anything. Erik spoke with such conviction and determination that she felt her skin prickle. "This is the moment you've all been waiting for. Make the Inquisition proud." He saluted them all and then walked over to Elena's horse, "How'd I do? I'm not very good with speeches." He asked in a whisper, looking up at her, one hand resting on her leg, the other on her horse's shoulder.

"You did fine, Erik." She whispered back giving him a smile and a pat on the shoulder, "I only hope I do half as well on my mission."

He nodded his head, "I remember my first one. It's a simple one. You'll do wonderfully. You're a Trevelyan after all!" He slapped her thigh and sighed, "I'll miss you, Lane. Be safe." And then he walked away, his hand trailing off her leg reluctantly. Watching her brother walk away, leaving her to uncertain adventures, caused her throat to tighten. He was right, this _was_ the moment that she had been waiting for, but now that it was here… she wasn't so sure she was ready. It was well-enough to say things while still surrounded by Haven's walls, but now she had to prove the bravado she had spoken with the day before wasn't false. She had to test her mettle and hope she didn't come up wanting.

"Are you ready men?" Corporal Smythe called out. The gathered troops shouted their assent, Elena adding her own voice to the call with only a slight tremor, "Move out!" He kicked his horse into a brisk walk and took the lead. Elena fell in at the back of the column as had been discussed the previous day. As they passed the practice courts she could see Cullen watching them go by. Her face became hot remembering how they had left things.

On impulse she pulled her horse to a stop, "Commander!" She waved him over.

Cullen looked at her and came over, "My lady?" he asked in a business-like tone.

"I just…" Elena started, clutching the hand she had waved against her chest, "I wanted to apologize for yesterday…. I should not have spoken to you in such a manner. It was wrong of me." She looked away from his face as she said it. She didn't want to… couldn't see his reaction. She'd rather be ignorant and able to pretend her simple words had fixed everything between them. He remained silent, so she picked up her reins, "Well, I've got to go. They're getting ahead of me." She met his eyes briefly and then kicked her horse forward.

Cullen's hand reached out and grabbed her horse's bridle, stopping it. "Elena, I just… want you to understand, what I said. I said it because—" He stopped speaking and looked away from her, letting his hand slide down onto the reins from the bridle, "Because I'm your commander. I couldn't live with the knowledge that I allowed you to be sent somewhere when you weren't ready. But seeing you up there," He gestured at the horse, "I realize I was mistaken. You _are_ ready for this kind of mission. You'll be all right."

"You called me Elena." She whispered, hardly words, more of a breath.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. Are things all right between us now?" Elena looked up the path, she could still see Reeves' back retreating around the bend. She felt anxious. This wasn't supposed to have taken this long.

"Of course, they never changed." He told her calmly.

"Good." She looked at him, her eyes meeting his fully. They locked and held. There was something new in his expression. Some kind of gentle tenderness and care that she'd never noticed before. She was surprised when her heart gave a noticeable tug, willing her to do something, though she did not know what, "I'll see you when I return, Cullen." She let his given name slip from her lips as coolly as she could, though it felt fiery and warm, like cinnamon, as it passed between them. She didn't wait for a response, Reeves had disappeared. She clucked to her horse and cantered away.

They took it easy that day. None of them had been adequately prepared for the start of this mission and it showed in their energy level. Corporal Smythe made the decision to camp a few hours early and get some extra sleep in. Watches and chores were assigned without fuss. Elena pulled first watch and latrine duty. She gladly went to find a suitable spot to dig a trench and was pleased to receive a compliment on her placement when Smythe went to do the necessary. _What a strange thing to be pleased about._ She thought absently to herself as she unpacked her horse and tied him to the string with the others. Everyone helped set up tents while the two hunters, Reeves and a more experienced soldier called Seariver, went to catch dinner. They returned after just a short while, a brace of nugs in their hands. Quickly, they processed the animals and had them roasting over the fire. Elena had never seen anyone hunt and get dinner cooking so fast before. She was a little more than impressed with her Elvish friend.

Elena walked over to Reeves, who was turning the spit, "I have to compliment you on your hunting skills. I had no idea you were so adept!"

Reeves nodded, "In my clan, we have to be if we want to survive." She explained simply.

"Is there anything I can do to help you with cooking?" Reeves shook her head, "All right, then. I'll go take a rest before watch." She walked away.

"Trevelyan!" Porteur called out to her as she drew near to the tents, "Isn't this fun! Our first camp site! Can you believe it! I hope there are many more adventures ahead of us!"

Elena rolled her eyes, "Porteur, you would think digging post holes is an adventure if it were done anywhere but Haven." She chuckled as he came over.

"Nonsense!" He clapped an arm around her, pulling her against his side, "Digging post holes anywhere is a serious business… could mean the difference between keeping somebody out and somebody in." He whispered conspiratorially, "But don't tell anyone I take anything seriously. I wouldn't want it getting around." He winked and released her. "You and I have watch together tonight, I'm looking forward to it." And then he was gone, sauntering off with a spring in his step, harassing whoever came his way. Elena smiled, shaking her head at her silly friend as she made her way into her tent.

She settled onto her bedroll with a sigh, wrapping a blanket around her and was lost to the world almost immediately. She had nice dreams. They smelled of cinnamon and chocolate and reminded her of safety and genuine warmth. She had never really encountered such things before. Not with her mother hovering around shoving men and responsibilities at her. She was always trying to cage her spirit into the confines of House Trevelyan. Her brother and the Inquisition had really done a lot for her. Her dreams led her through these thoughts as if someone were holding her hand and walking her through a maze of doors.

A gentle hand shook her awake, "My lady Elena, it is time for dinner." Reeves whispered to her, "Come along." Elena was sad to let the dreams go. They had been good for her weariness. She stood and joined Reeves and the others at the fire. They ate in silence, focused on getting the hot food to their stomachs before the wintry cold stole the warmth from the meat. Once dinner had been finished and cleaned up, watches began.

Elena was glad for her nap. She felt alert and aware. The smallest sound was noticed and cataloged. A snap of a twig in the distance was just a ram passing through. The gurgle of a nearby brook interrupted with splashes and squeals from nugs. Nothing to fear in these woods so close to Haven. The real trouble would happen further down the road, closer to the Mire. Porteur helped her pass the time by walking an opposite circuit and whispering a dirty joke to her each time they passed. She tried to keep quiet, but couldn't help from giggling every now and then. Before she knew it the five hours had passed and she was being relieved by Marston.

"How were things?" He whispered, searching her face carefully by the moonlight.

"Quiet." She shrugged, "We're still too close to Haven to really have any worries."

Marston nodded sagely, "I thought so. How are you? I haven't gotten a chance to speak to you since before we left."

"I'm fine. Tired, but fine." She told him, "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some sleep to catch up on and you've got a watch to take care of." She patted his shoulder as she walked past him, "Be careful."

He nodded, catching her hand and holding it on his shoulder briefly, "Sleep well." He told her and released her hand. She nodded and walked away back to her bedroll. She fell into it as gracefully and quietly as she could manage and was once again asleep quickly. As she drifted off she thought of her brother, wondering if he, too, was asleep on the ground somewhere or if he had chosen to stay at Haven awhile longer. Perhaps he stayed to speak to Cullen about strategy. That would make them both happy. It may even distract them from worrying about her as they both so obviously did. The thought of the commander staying up worrying about her made her feel strange. _Am I worrying about him worrying about me? Surely, he isn't… might be nice to worried about by him, though._ She thought idly as her mind was fully enveloped by sleep.

 **Author's Note: Awwwww. Someone is in denial about being in denial about thinking someone else is dreamy. Literally, warm cinnamon and chocolate is totally the flavor I would assign Cullen. Throw a little vanilla in there and BOOM! Cullen flavored tea. I would SO drink that. I should write Adagio a note...**

 **Here's a sneak peak of Chapter 5. Literally, though, there's like a mutiny coming and Elena is totally not prepared for that emotionally. Poor girl. Really, sinking mostly new people into a bog filled with spooky zombies and ghosts and giant axe-wielding maniacs, really Erik? REALLY? You are such a good-hearted idiot. We shall see if a mutiny actually happens or if our heroine manages to diffuse the situation that's arising...**

 **-Danbamina**

 **Chapter 5**

The journey south to the Fallow Mire carried on in much the same way as it had the first day. They rode a bit harder to speed things up, but otherwise, it was uneventful and rather pleasant to be traveling with a group of like-minded individuals. Everyone was excited to be going on a mission from the Herald himself. It wasn't often he delegated tasks to people other than his closest circle personally. No one, Elena was surprised to learn, really thought of her as part of Erik's circle of advisors and party members for all she was his blood relative. She rather liked the news. It made her feel free from his shadow. She really was standing on her own two feet and being useful. Everyone seemed pleased with her efforts around camp. She never shirked chores and frequently helped others with theirs. If nothing else, that was enough to earn their respect.

When she gave an order, which was rare, she was obeyed immediately. Nobody complained at her when she asked them to take their turn with hunting or digging latrine trenches or gathering wood. This was unlike when Corporal Smythe asked the same chores be done. He had the most astonishing ability to always get the same jobs, the easy ones. Elena didn't approve of this, but he was her senior officer and she didn't really see a way of convincing him to take other responsibilities. She would have a word with Cullen when she got back and let him handle it.


	5. Elena and the Fallow Mire

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Oooooh man! This is a good one! I spent so much time thinking about this. And THEN I got really busy with my career (end of quarter is killing me). I also had to beat Red Dead 2 (which I did... Oh, Arthur). I am very very very very very very sorry I didn't get this uploaded sooner. Christmas Break is starting for me ON SATURDAY! WHOOOOOOP WHOOOOOP! So I will be able to write more often. Thank goodness! Anyway, enough of this gibbering and on with the show!**

 **Chapter 5**

The journey south to the Fallow Mire carried on in much the same way as it had the first day. They rode a bit harder to speed things up, but otherwise, it was uneventful and rather pleasant to be traveling with a group of like-minded individuals. Everyone was excited to be going on a mission from the Herald himself. It wasn't often he delegated tasks to people other than his closest circle personally. No one, Elena was surprised to learn, really thought of her as part of Erik's circle of advisors and party members for all she was his blood relative. She rather liked the news. It made her feel free from his shadow. She really was standing on her own two feet and being useful. Everyone seemed pleased with her efforts around camp. She never shirked chores and frequently helped others with theirs. If nothing else, that was enough to earn their respect.

When she gave an order, which was rare, she was obeyed immediately. Nobody complained at her when she asked them to take their turn with hunting or digging latrine trenches or gathering wood. This was unlike when Corporal Smythe asked the same chores be done. He had the most astonishing ability to always get the same jobs, the easy ones. Elena didn't approve of this, but he was her senior officer and she didn't really see a way of convincing him to take other responsibilities. She would have a word with Cullen when she got back and let him handle it.

Presently, they had arrived at the Fallow Mire. It was raining, as was usual for that part of Thedas. There was an ever-present gloom and stink. Elena was decidedly not-charmed. The only word she could think of to describe this place was dismal. Even that was somehow not fitting. She didn't think she could accurately describe this place in reports. Words couldn't quiet convey the absolute feeling of silent, diseased oppression hanging in the air. As she stood in the constant, steady rain, feeling water drip down her entire being, she understood what everyone had meant when they had said "That miserable bog." Misery, despair, and death were all that awaited any person here. She shivered, rubbing her arms to ward off a chill that would not disappear.

"This can't be good." Reeves muttered as she came back from poking around an abandoned house. She handed Elena a sheaf of wet parchment. The ink on it had run some, but was largely still legible.

Elena scanned the note quickly, "Assuredly not." She turned to face the small group of soldiers, "This note details a list of herbs needed to treat a plague of some kind. Be on the lookout for corpses and keep clear of them! I don't want anyone getting sick on my watch."

"All right, men, we'll be travelling in two small groups. We can cover more ground that way. Reeves, Porteur, Marston, Trevelyan, and Dorlen you head up the road here. Everyone else stick with me. We're going to explore the land a little bit more thoroughly. We'll all meet at Hargrave Keep one hour past dark. Keep your wits about you. There's undead here and Avaar as well. Don't want to be surprised by either one." Smythe stepped in quickly and decisively.

"Corporal Smythe," Elena began carefully, "Do you really think it is a good idea to split us up if it's so dangerous here?"

The corporal looked at her blankly, "No. It's the fastest way to scout this place out and then get out. Nobody wants to be here any longer than we need to. The Herald trusts us to look for resources as well as places to set up camps to hold the region. Trust me. I've been on missions like this before. I know what works and what doesn't." He looked away from her and into the gloom, "You've got to understand that in places like this being fast is being safe. Another thing, with Avaar lurking around, we're less likely to run into trouble in smaller groups. They won't notice us or won't think we're worth their time."

Elena nodded, still feeling unsure, "If you say so, Corporal. You have the most experience."

He nodded, "That's right. Stick to the road like I told you. It leads straight to Hargrave Keep. You should make it there well-before dark if you keep your pace quick."

Elena shook her head, unable to let it go, "I hear you. I just don't think that it's a good idea to split up our groups, corporal. We'll be safer in larger numbers on the road." Corporal Smythe gave her a dismissive gesture and stomped away. The troops he had assigned to himself gathered and followed after him, casting apologetic glances back at the remaining group. Elena looked around at her men; they looked uncertain and a little bit queasy. Her own stomach was sitting poorly with the constant stink and the splitting of their party. She pulled her sword from its sheath, the weight of the metal and the feel of the leather-wrapped hilt in her hand was comforting, "Weapons out, men. We'll go as fast as we can. We'll travel as a square. Reeves, Porteur, Marston, and I will take the corners. Dorlen, as our mage, you'll take the center. We move as one." Everyone rearranged themselves around the road, "All set?" They muttered their assent, "Let's move out."

As one, the party stepped forward; setting their feet onto a road that Elena felt was surely to lead them to their doom in this wretched place. Where had her brother sent them? Surely, Elena mused, he would not have sent them if he had been fully aware of all she had come to be aware of in such a short amount of time. Marston grumbled from behind her about getting mud in his boots. Reeves hissed at him to be quiet and pulled her bowstring back, taking aim at something Elena could hardly make out. Twang! The bow released and sailed into something with a solid sounding _thump_. There was a splash as whatever it had been fell into the water.

"Undead." Reeves whispered over her shoulder, "Won't trouble us now."

"I'm glad we have an Elf at the front of our column." Porteur mumbled, squelching through a soft spot on the road, "Blech! The worst thing I'll have to see is this muck on my shoes."

"Shut it, Porteur." Marston snapped at him, "This is no time for jokes."

"Both of you be silent." Elena interrupted, "Let's pick up the pace a bit."

The group gave their quiet assent and continued on at a little faster pace. Their feet on the wet road made almost comfortingly normal slapping sounds. Every now and then someone splashed through a shallow puddle. Reeves saw nothing out of the ordinary in the deepening gloom. After sometime walking they came upon a strange sight on the top of a small hill. In the center of the mound stood a large pillar capped by an eerie blue-green light. Spread around it were sacks, when they were investigated further they were found to hold provisions and materials for crafting. Marston and Dorlen put the provisions into their packs. Reeves and Porteur had set up a small patrol around the crest of the hill. Elena had become transfixed with the pillar. She moved slowly around it, examining it in the watery light. It was roughly hewn. On one side it had a plaque set into it with a glimmering rune set onto its black surface. The side opposite the plaque had an empty brazier set.

"Veilfire brazier." Dorlen told her calmly, startling her, "Sorry. Best let me energize that. You won't be able to."

Elena shook her head, "No. We need to keep moving. This pillar," She rubbed her hands over her arms as she stepped away from it, "makes my skin crawl." She gathered everyone back to their starting positions and they moved on. As they traveled further with no incidents, she could feel her party relax. They started whispering to each other periodically. She would silence them as soon as they began, but they would start back up after a few minutes. Elena began to feel uneasy and unsure of herself. The more her fellow soldiers spoke, the more she felt the hairs on her body stand on end. They reached a second pillar hill; this one was shrouded in the same blue-green watery light.

"Halt." She ordered, when everyone was still she addressed them, "Listen. We are in dangerous territory. You heard Coproral Smythe. Sure, the undead don't care if we are loud, but the Avaar will use it against us. Stop speaking or we may all end up in very real and great danger."

Marston repositioned himself into a more defiant stance, "Lighten up, Trevelyan. There's only five of us, you heard Smythe as well. Avaar aren't going to worry with a party as small as ours. They have better things to do." Dorlen chuckled along with Marston. Elena caught Porteur's and Reeves' eye. They nodded, knowing what she was about before she even made a move.

Porteur slapped the larger man on the back of the head, "Shut up you bumbling oaf. Just because you have a two-handed weapon doesn't make you invincible." Marston rubbed his head and glared at Porteur, "I, for one, agree with our leader. We can't be careless. The further we go the more careful we should be."

Reeves pulled Dorlen's ear, "And you, _mage_ ," she tugged harder, pulling him down so she could speak directly into his ear "If you cause us _any_ trouble I will gladly put an arrow through your eye socket." She let him go with a shove to his face, "Trevelyan is in charge, though. You had better hope she finds you valuable." She let go, shoving the mage away from her.

"Move out. Silently." Elena hissed at her troops. They spread back out into their previous formation and moved away from the pillar's ghostly light in silence. They passed a total of four pillars with no further incidents. Wisps floated above the murky bog, undead sloshed through the water in the distance, but it seemed that Marston and Smythe were correct in assuming their party was too small to bother with. Elena felt herself relax a little bit, she viewed the scenery with a more casual eye and was able to even find some beauty in the shiny blood lotuses that bloomed with abundance by the water's edge. Strange creatures waddled in and out of the water, grunting at each other in a friendly way. An old hut was hunkered down in the marshy ground like a cranky grandmother.

She couldn't quite place it, but something about the seeming tranquility of the swamp around her was unnerving. Perhaps it was the fact that they had begun their trek through it in such haste and with fear squelched down in their bellies, that now that that fear and haste were gone there was nothing left. It hadn't been an abrupt change, but complacency in enemy territory of any kind was never a good idea. Perhaps it was her fighting instincts and training telling her to remain on alert. Perhaps she just disliked being comfortable in such a dismal place as this. Elena, musing upon all of this, found herself growing anxious. She saw enemies in the reeds and murky water. She could hear them moving through the sparse growth of grass just behind dilapidated buildings. She felt like she could feel the Avaar's eyes watching her and her company's movements. She shuddered and was once again aware of just how soaked through she was as the icy rain trickled between her shoulders and down her back. She looked ahead on the road longingly for any sign of Hargrave Keep. Surely, they had to be getting close by now.

Instead of seeing a stone walled Keep, Elena saw the ghostly glow of a fourth pillar. This was a only slightly welcome change from the now-threatening landscape around her. She sighed and shifted her shield on her left arm as she gathered her company around her, "Listen carefully. I feel anxious. I don't know why. Something is going to happen and it's going to happen soon."

Marston nodded, "Agreed. There's something weird about how normal everything is. Especially after what the Herald and everyone else was telling us…" He grunted out, spinning the haft of his great axe in his hands.

Reeves didn't take her eyes off of the horizon, constantly scanning it, "I can't see anything, but that doesn't mean there's nothing out there."

Porteur drew his sword and gave it a casual pass through the air, "I wouldn't mind a bit of action, actually. It sure beats trudging through mud just waiting."

Dorlen grumbled, "I disagree. Action would be a bad thing. We don't want action. Wasn't that the whole point of splitting up like we did? To avoid fighting and get our job done quickly so we could return home?"

Elena nodded, "It was, but I fear… I fear there is something lurking just beyond our senses." She paused, listening, was that a splash followed by a low hiss? "We must be prepared."

"How do you want us to be prepared?" Reeves whispered, her eyes still darting around. Something about her tense hand on the bow string told Elena she had not been hearing things.

Elena took a breath, considering her options. In a fight, numbers and position would matter. No idiot would attack the company on this high ground. For the moment, they were as safe as they possibly could be. She only had five fighters. Fierce as she knew her comrades to be, she couldn't imagine them beating back more than two or three Avaar without casualties. She looked at their faces, noticing that even though they were also growing more anxious, they looked trusting. "If we encounter a fight with anything, defend only. Do not provoke. Do not try for unnecessary kills. The goal is to survive. If it becomes needful, we will either retreat or surrender, though it pains me to say it."

They all shared a look and a nod with each other. "Agreed."

"Let's move out. We'll pick up the pace. Reeves, keep an eye out. You've got the best vision of any of us. Everyone else, keep your eyes out as well, you may spot something she misses. Anyone hears anything suspicious let us know immediately." Elena waited for nods, "Go." As one they grouped up together and moved at a steady jog.

The swamp land gave way to solid marshy ground soon after. The water wasn't pressing as close. They traveled into a decrepit village. The buildings were caving in all around them. The road was lined with broken stone walls. Their jagged edges sticking from the grassy mud like broken teeth. Elena cast her eyes about… There! Was that a leg disappearing from view between two walls? Suddenly she heard a snap to her right. Reeves whistled an alarm signal and an arrow came whizzing into their midst. Dorlen gave a shout of pain and sent a spell in the direction of the arrow.

Then, they were locked in the throes of battle. Marston roared like a bear and swung his axe blindly into the middle of a charging Avaar warrior, where it lodged in the man's gut. Unable to pull it free easily, Marston swore and pulled out his long knife to continue fighting. Porteur was locked in a contest of strength with another Avaar, who had his axe buried deep into Porteur's shield. Reeves had leaped out of the center of the fight and rained arrows down on their enemies. Dorlen cast spells as quickly as he can, never missing a target.

Elena took all this in as she parried and thrust with her attacker, a sword-wielding giant. The giant had no shield but didn't seem to need one as he nimbly dodged her attacks. He did something funny with his sword, she was too slow raising her shield, and he cut her on the left shoulder. She cursed under her breath and resettled herself into a better position. Her shield felt heavier as the weakened muscle worked to keep it lifted. Her attacked circled her, looking for another opening, she kept her eyes on him. Finally, he made his move, charging her with his sword raised high above his head. When he was but a good step away from her, she powered herself towards him in one great lunge. She raised her shield above her head and sent her sword straight out from her like an arrow. The metal slid into his unprotected stomach with such ease she felt herself grow giddy from nausea. The giant's sword crashed down onto her shield, splintering it in two and sliding off the back of her breast plate and helmet. Her body and head rang with the collision but all she could see was her sword, hilt deep in the giant's stomach. It had to come out. She stood and kicked out her leg, shoving him off the sword. He stepped backwards, clutching his stomach as his life blood gushed forth. Elena felt hot drops hit her cheeks as she spun to go back into the fray.

She noticed an Avaar archer standing a little ways from her, lining up a shot at Marston, who was largely unprotected on the edge of the battle doing his best to fend off a great-sword wielding Avaar with just his long knife. Without thinking she started towards the arched, shouting. The archer whipped around to face her and loosed his arrow. She felt it punch through her right thigh and stumbled for a split second. As she straightened, she threw her sword at the archer as if it were a spear. It sailed through the air and stopped with either half of the blade sticking through the archer's throat. She spun and reassessed the situation. It was bad. Reeves had run out of arrows and fought a man with daggers with just her bow. Porteur had managed to kill his foe, but was obviously injured as he struggled with his own weapons in defense against yet another attacker. Marston had managed to evade his great-sword wielding foe, but for how long Elena could not say. Dorlen lay on the ground with several arrows sprouting from his chest like grotesque flowers.

"WE SURRENDER!" The words tore themselves from her mouth in a cry loud enough to catch everyone's attention. "Drop your weapons you idiots. We are beaten." She hissed stalking between her companions as they made their way closer to her. The Avaar stood in stony silence, breathing hard. She couldn't believe that with two words she had stopped the battle. From what she had heard and read of Avaar it should have taken much more than that. Reeves, Marston, and Porteur formed a ring around her.

A larger-than-normal Avaar stepped forward. He had giant rams horns attached to a cloth helmet, wore no shirt, and very tight leather pants. His huge feet were clad in fur boots and the largest axe Elena had ever seen was slung by innumerable harnesses across his back. He gave a hearty laugh, "T'were a good fight, but you are right, lowlander, you are beaten."

She straightened herself up as much as she could with the arrow sticking out of her thigh, "Indeed it was. Your warriors are far more than we ever expected."

The Avaar laughed again, "Of course they were. The Hand of Korth," he pounded himself on the chest proudly, "would not have brought lowland weaklings to fight like the Inquisition did."

Elena bristled, but felt it better to hold her tongue, "What do you want of the Inquisition?"

"I want to meet your Herald. Seems he's the only lowlander worth fighting!" The Hand of Korth laughed with his men, slapping his knees.

"Then, I suggest you keep my men and I alive."

"Oh aye? Why would I do that?"

"Because, oh great Hand of Korth, I am the Herald's own blood. To harm me or my company would be to bring the wrath of the Inquisition down with him." She was beginning to feel a bit light-headed, though she felt she did a good job hiding it in her voice. Her comrades stepped closer to her.

"We were going to keep you alive anyway. Now it seems we will have our meeting sooner." The Hand of Korth motioned to his men, "We like you better than that other lowlander anyway." The Avaar men circled around them and began to shepherd them down the road.

Reeves and Porteur went first, and then it was her turn. She glanced down at the arrow protruding from her thigh and grimaced. It had been sending waves of throbbing pain to her while she stood and conversed with the Hand of Korth. She had pointedly ignored it, but now it was almost impossible to think about moving her leg, much less putting her weight on it.

"Elena?" Marston whispered, moving up beside her. She looked at him, panicked. What was she going to do? She couldn't walk with this kind of injury!

"Get a move on then!" A pair of Avaar reached out and pushed them both forward. As she stumbled and her weight landed on that leg, the world went black. The last thing she heard was Marston cry out her name, but it didn't sound like him. It sounded like a memory of parting words that took longer and meant more than they should have….

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: OK! Sooooo not really a cliff hanger because we've all played the game and what-not and KNOW that the Herald comes to the rescue, blah, blah, blah... BUT! You don't know what happens to them while they're waiting or AFTER they get rescued, which is what I'll be writing about. That part shouldn't take FOREVER to read because it's pretty much laid out there for us already. However, chapter 6 will also have them return to Haven. And then... then... well I'll let you think of your own ideas from here. Peace and Blessings.**


	6. Elena Goes Home

**Author's Note: Helloooo! Sooo this is the next chapter. It kind of... got away from me? I made it longer than I wanted, and some events changed to make things more dramatic. I'll just let you read it now.**

 **Chapter 6**

Elena was standing on the edge of a frozen lake, looking at twin trebuchets, wooden walls encircling a small village, and a forge that was continuously pouring smoke from its chimney. The place she was looking at seemed like a haven in comparison to the place she had just left. Something tugged her eyes to a field where men were usually to be seen locked in mock battles, but the field was clear. The canvas tents stood like sentinels against the breaking dawn. She moved between them, searching. She was supposed to meet someone here. There was something she needed to say or do… she couldn't remember, but it was important to be there. It was important that they were there. She heard her name floating to her on the breeze. It was refined and warm as it landed on her ears gentle as a snowflake. She turned towards the sound, saw a man silhouetted against the breaking dawn and was forced to close her eyes as the sun blinded her.

Elena opened her eyes onto a windowless room. The rough-hewn stone walls had a couple of battered tapestries hanging from them. Around her immediate field of vision she could see broken weapons racks, toppled piles of rusty armor, broken chests, and other assorted piles of refuse. She groaned and held a hand up against her eyes, muting the sputtering light of the torches that were in brackets along the wall. She became aware of warmth coming from her right. She was leaning against the wall and another person, when she turned her head she saw it was Marston. He was asleep, his mouth slightly open, his head listing towards her. She shifted herself away from him and let out a cry as she moved. She had forgotten her injuries. Now they came crashing like cymbals to the forefront of her awareness. Her left shoulder screamed at her as she set her weight down. Her right leg gave a low groan as it dragged across the floor. Before she knew it she had her comrades gathered around her clucking like hens. She brushed them all off and took several large breaths, getting herself together as the pains settled into more manageable amounts.

"Who took the arrow out?" She asked, looking at her now-arrow-free-and-bandaged leg.

"I did. Reeves took care of bandaging. She said I was too clumsy for it." Marston stated, peering into her face as if waiting for her to faint again.

"Thank you both, then. I'm glad you did it while I was unconscious." Elena told them looking around to see who else was there. It looked like most of Smythe's men had been captured as well, but Smythe was nowhere in sight. "Where's Corporal Smythe?"

Everyone shot each other nervous glances, finally one of his troops cleared his throat, "The corporal was killed in action, my lady."

The room grew uncomfortable as everyone looked at her. Elena felt herself grow red under their uncertain gaze. Surely, she didn't _appear_ to be a capable leader crippled as she was, but she had managed to survive an Avaar ambush with only one casualty. Doing a quick count, it looked like Smythe had managed to get out with two casualties, his own included. Their numbers weren't bad. She wondered how many Avaar they had taken with them to pay for the Inquisition lives lost. Her party had killed more than their share, at least five by her memory. Five enemy lives for one Inquisition wasn't so bad. Perhaps she really was a decent leader after all.

"I suppose that means you're stuck with me, then." She joked, shrugging her shoulders, "I think we'll be OK."

"Is the Herald going to send someone for us?" A female soldier from Smythe's party asked, her voice quavering.

Elena nodded, "I know he is. He's my brother. Erik has gotten Adrian and me out of much worse scrapes than this before!" _I can't think of any, but they don't need to know that._ She added with a mental chuckle. Right now, the truth was less important than morale. If a small lie could help them, she was glad to tell it. The Maker would forgive her, surely.

The gathered soldiers all nodded, their expressions growing brave. They turned away from her and broke back into their smaller groups where they sat muttering amongst themselves. Elena let out a relieved breath. She really didn't feel much like conversing about things she was uncertain of herself. Would Erik come for her personally like the Hand of Korth wanted or would he simply send troops like she suspected. After all, he was the Herald of Andraste and was always busy. She hoped he had stayed at Haven much longer this time. Otherwise, they'd be in for a long, long wait.

The days and nights passed slowly. The windowless room caused time to seem to stand still. The only break in the monotony of sitting and waiting was the once daily time when the Avaar brought them food. It wasn't good food. It was usually thin soup with a loaf of bread and a jug of water. Their waste bucket was removed when the food came and returned when the Avaar came back for the dishes. Two visits a day from people other than the ones in the room was not enough to judge time by, especially since they didn't seem to come on any sort of schedule. Elena got the feeling that they were more of an after-thought to the Avaar, like an inconvenient pet.

On one such visit Marston asked for some clean bandages for the wounded, but was laughed at loudly. Elena, along with the few others, had to manage with dirty bandages and increasing risk of infection. She saw infection begin to set up first in the female with the quavering voice. When she tried to remember the woman's name, she realized she had completely forgotten it. Her head swam and everything felt hot. She had taken off her heavy armor when it became apparent that a quick rescue was not likely to happen. Now, she found herself shivering from the heat inside of her. Elena watched the other woman shiver as well and scooted over next to her. They huddled next to each other, both miserable in their fever. Reeves noticed this and brought them the water jug and food first, trying to force them to eat. However, neither woman had an appetite. Elena smelled the soup and felt nauseous. The water she sipped caused her stomach to clench from its iciness as it slipped down. She pushed the cup and bowl away with a moan and a shake of her head. Then, she curled up against the over-heated body of the other woman and slept.

Elena felt like she spent her life fluctuating between restless sleep, periods of delirium, and periods of lucidity. The delirium becoming more prevalent the longer she stayed in that gods-forsaken windowless room. The other woman had died not long ago and had been dragged out unceremoniously by the Avaar who brought the food. She didn't want to die as well. Where was Erik? She felt herself start to weep and closed her eyes to stop the flow of tears.

She was back between the canvas tents, the walled town before her. The man was standing by the last one, facing away from her. Elena couldn't tell who he was, but something about the way he stood with his hands clasped lightly behind his back was pleasant to look at. He had a great fur collar wrapped around his broad shoulders. She opened her mouth and called out to him, but he either didn't hear her or ignored her. She tried to move towards him and fell, when she looked down at her legs, she found that she didn't have any. They were just bloody, shredded stumps jutting from her hips. Horrified, she screamed for help but no sound escaped her throat. She felt the vocal cords straining to make a sound and realize the man couldn't hear her as she struggled to get to him. She slowly crawled, feeling the gravel beneath her body tear into the ragged flesh of her destroyed limbs. Her finger nails tore at the frozen ground and bled. This couldn't be happening. She looked up and found she was surrounded by corpses in similar or worse condition than she was. Her brother walked by with the man, surveying the battle field. They spoke with regret and sorrow in their voices. She groaned and rolled over, giving up her fight to reach the path. It was a path she had been crawling towards, wasn't it? Or was she trying to find someone? What had led her to this nightmarish fate? What had caused it?

Beyond her field of vision she heard a guttural intake of rattling breath. She turned her head to see a demon moving towards her. Erik and the man weren't too far away… She whipped her head towards them and rolled over, crawling as quickly as she could, but something was pulling her down. The arms of the corpses around her reached out and latched onto her, turning their disfigured faces to hers. She saw Reeves, Marston, Porteur… all clawing onto her and moaning while all the while the demon grew closer to her and the men who could save her further away. _Why!?_ She asked them with the loudest voice she could manage, a creaking whisper. They responded with moans of how she had led them there and so must remain with them forever. _This wasn't my fault!_ She told them, but they were unappeased and only pulled on her harder—

"Trevelyan!" Marston's rough voice snapped at her as his hands slapped her cheeks vigorously, "Wake up! Something's happening." Elena's eyes opened and she realized she had been dreaming. Her entire body shook with the fear from her dream.

Everyone in the room became deathly silent as the sounds of muffled battle leaked through the door. Was that Dorian she heard saying "Ah ha! Another blighter falls!"? Did her brother send his favorite mage to rescue them? Had he come with them? She felt hope rise in her weak body like a bubble. It was fragile, but it was hope. Slowly, the sounds of battle ceased. A minute or two of tense anxiety followed and then the door opened to reveal Erik standing there, bow in hand and a serious look on his face. Marston and Reeves rushed to the door, spilling out the most important facts as quickly as they could.

Erik silenced them with a quiet, "That'll do. Where's my sister?" Reeves and Marston stepped apart to show her sitting against the back wall, staring at him in wonder. Erik didn't have a scratch on him. His clothes were hardly mussed. His face was flushed from battle, but he looked like he had just come in from a swift ride on his horse. He cut a dashing figure in the doorway. "Elena…" He said; his voice cracking as he rushed into the room. Kneeling, he wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly against his chest, "Sister, I am so sorry it took me so long to get here."

Elena hardly heard him. She was too busy crying into his chest. With great care to her obvious injuries, he lifted her into his arms. Even though he took as slow and careful steps as he could manage she found herself whimpering and clinging to him. As they left the dilapidated keep a gigantic Avaar with a huge maul approached. Erik handed her to Iron Bull swiftly. The speed at which this transfer happened caused both her shoulder and her leg to be moved so roughly that she passed out from the sheer agony of it all. _Thank Andraste._ She thought as the dark enveloped her.

When next she woke it was without a fever, but not without pain. She looked around herself, getting her bearings. She was on a bedroll in a tent. Bright sunlight filtered through the canvas casting everything in a soft gold. There was a large rock next to her where a mortar and pestle rested next to a bowl of some foul-smelling poultice leftovers with bandage bits lying scattered about. She grimaced and looked at her injured shoulder by moving her head far to the right. As she suspected she could see a crisp white binding had been put in place. Her left arm had been immobilized by its own set of bindings across her chest. She lifted the blanket on her and looked down at her bare legs to see that that wound, too, had been put into clean bandages. How long had she been out? Who had cared for her? Where was she? Obviously, she was back with the Inquisition and from the lack of stink and rain it was safe to assume they were out of the Fallow Mire. The specifics of her location were beyond her, though. She looked around for some pants and noticed a set of clean clothes hung on a peg near the entrance flap.

 _Here goes nothing_. She thought as she swung her legs out from underneath the blanket. The effort caused her to let out a cry as the torn muscle of her right leg pulled. Her shoulder she was able to baby a little more thanks to her left arm being immobilized. She huffed a couple of breaths out as she waited for everything to settle back down into a manageable amount. Then, she scooted herself stiffly to the end of the bedroll. That wasn't as bad as she had anticipated and she felt quite proud that she had managed this much without further out cries. Now, she just had to figure out how to stand up without putting weight on her leg.

The tent flap opened and Erik entered, rubbing his eyes. His black hair was uncombed, his usually neat clothes were highly wrinkled, and his skin was the gray color of someone who hasn't had enough sleep lately. Elena realized who had been staying with her. He stopped rubbing his eyes and looked at her. His face went from exhausted to elated to concerned to upset and then settled on something somewhere between concerned and pleased.

"You're up." He said simply, letting his hands drop by his sides.

Elena nodded, "I am."

"I heard you yelp and so I came to check on you…" He explained unnecessarily. Elena had assumed as much. "What're you doing up and moving?"

"I'm trying to get dressed. Where are we?"

"We're just north of West Hills. Once we got you and the troops out of the Fallow Mire we rode hard to find somewhere it wasn't raining to tend your wounds." He brought her the clothes and began helping her get dressed. "First, we'll take this off…" He told her as he unwound the bandage holding her arm stationary.

"Ouch!" She said as Erik slid her left arm into a sleeve and tugged the shirt over her shoulder. "How bad was I?"

He shrugged, "Not as bad you probably thought you were. Reeves told me that Seariver passed because of her injuries. Apparently, she had a couple of very nasty stab wounds." He began to do the buttons on the shirt for her. "How did you manage to get this shoulder wound? Where was your shield?"

Elena blushed, "I was too slow with it. Later, the same one cracked my shield in half. I killed him for it, though."

Erik nodded, working her feet into the pants. "That's good. I can't believe he didn't crack you in half the first time."

"I've been taught well."

Erik grunted in agreement and pushed the pants up around her knees, bunching the rest around her ankles. "You'll need to stand now." He reached out and grasped her hands, pulling her to her feet. "Hold onto me." Elena leaned forward and placed her weight on her older brother's shoulders. She bit her cheek and inhaled sharply as he got the pants past her injury and around her hips. He fastened them with deft fingers and then picked her up. "Want to go outside?"

She nodded up at him, "Yes. It smells awful in here with that medicine sitting there." Erik walked her outside and placed her on a log near the fire. Then, he went back into the tent and brought out her blanket. He draped that around her shoulders muttering about her catching cold and sat down next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder, "Where are the others?"

"Oh, they headed back to Haven yesterday once your fever broke. We'll leave today or tomorrow morning, I think. I'm glad you brought Reeves with you. She really knows her way around medicinal herbs. You should thank her. You wouldn't be well enough to sit here without her, much less travel."

"How long was I out?"

"Oooh… about four days. We fed you some stuff that Porteur got from the healing lady in West Hills to keep you asleep."

"I thought Reeves took care of me?"

"She did, but that healer helped as well. It is possible for more than one person to do the same job. Especially when it comes to healing." He teased lightly.

"Is it just you and I out here?" She asked, noticing that there weren't any other tents up around the fire.

"Yes. We're in Inquisition territory. There's no need to worry." Erik paused, and then he asked softly, "Are you ready to head home?"

"To Ostwick? Never. To Haven? Yes."

"Then, you stay here and I'll pack us up." He got up and left, when he returned her thrust a sling at her, "Better put that arm in this. Riding won't be so comfortable without it." She did as he instructed and watched with quiet amusement as he struggled with the tent. As he worked, she idly started throwing dirt onto the fire to douse it. She was glad they were headed home to Haven. She missed the homey little town with its sturdy chantry and wooden walls. She missed her routine, her friends… Elena felt a knot in her throat and her eyes stung. It had been hard being away from all of that. She realized; she felt a little homesick for the quaint town with its sturdy chantry and wooden walls. She started throwing in larger handfuls of dirt, quickly dousing the rest of the embers.

Erik had finished too and come back over, brushing his hands off on his pants. "Well, let's get going. If we start now we should be able to make it to Honnleath by night fall without having to rush."

"All right then." Elena held out her arms so he could lift her. He popped her on sideways on his horse's rear and swung himself up in front of her. Wrapping her arms around his waist lightly she leaned forward and said happily, "Let's go home."

Elena spent the journey in discomfort, despite Erik's best efforts to keep his placid horse from jostling her about too much. Somethings, she supposed, were just about impossible. Horses will jostle your entire body despite their calm and gentle natures. Erik kept her talking most of the way home. They reminisced about their childhood in Ostwick, discussed the Inquisition, gossiped about their friends and companions, and even complained about camp cooking. She tried to relax and would sometimes succeed, but something about the trip was filling her up with anxiety. Haven wasn't too far away. Another day or so and they'd arrive. Her days with her brother were drawing to a close and she was going to miss regular conversation with him. He hadn't been upset about the Fallow Mire incident, but what about her commanding officers? Would they follow his lead and go easy on her since she was still a green horn? Or would they be upset and give her punishment duties for her foolishness in trusting the more experienced officer when she had known better? Elena wasn't sure if she really would mind if Corporal Caylief were to be upset with her or any of the other training masters. So why was she worried about their reaction if she truly didn't mind?

Maybe she did a little bit… only a little. It would be nice to go back to the comfortable routines of training. First, weapons practice, which she would have to wait for until she could stand on her own with no assistance and then, helping the recruits with their lessons, which she could resume immediately. She was glad she would be able to do something at least. It would be boring to be confined to her bed or the Chantry. As long as someone could be found to help her move from one spot to another, she would be all right.

So what was it bothering her?

She was excited to see her friends again. She was excited to be back in Haven. She was even excited to get back to training, if she was a little apprehensive of her welcome. She couldn't place her finger on it. This topic consumed her thoughts when she wasn't conversing with Erik. It also helped to speed the journey along so that before she realized it, they were outside the main gates to Haven. She looked around as they passed under the portcullis leading down the road that would take them to the little town.

"You ready to be home?" Erik asked her, his voice warm and gentle like sunshine on a spring day. "I know I am." He sighed and mused aloud, quietly, "I wonder what Dorian has been up to while I've been away…?"

Elena shrugged, "He's probably running the entire Inquisition by now." She teased, thinking of the mage's charismatic and self-assured nature.

Erik chuckled, "Probably. I'll have to convince him to give it back to the others and me somehow."

"I don't know how you're going to manage that. I, for one, am just pleased to be getting off this horse permanently. It's been a long ride." Elena shifted in the cramped saddle and added, "Plus the company is absolutely wretched. I mean, have you ever had to ride in front of the Herald of Andraste herself? All he wants to talk about is his life before being the Herald and then once you get him off that subject he just wants to talk about the Inquisition and the weather!? Honestly, the man is insufferable!"

"I knooow. That man really needs to get his head out of his own ass and think about others for once. It's like this whole Inquisition thing is really just so he can go off on adventures and prove how amazing he is. He may as well ride right up to Empress Celine and shout at her 'LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! I'm the Herald! Look how amazing I am!'" Erik chipped in laughing along with her, "But I'm sure his riding companion is just as bad. She must think she is so terrific at fighting and taking care of herself. I mean, here is this woman who gets an arrow through her leg and all she does is complain about her riding companion."

"How ungrateful! Without him she would surely fall off the horse and be lost to wolves or worse… NUGS!"

"Oh don't get me started on _nugs_!" Erik groaned dramatically.

"Get started on nugs, Erik. Please say what we've all been thinking about nugs."

"Nugs! Nugs! What is the point of nugs!? They're everywhere, and yet they aren't equipped to survive anywhere but a cave. The darn things have zero hair on their bodies and so they just blister in the sun. They can't even defend themselves. Not only that, they're not even wise enough to run _away_ from danger. Most times, they're running _towards_ the danger."

"I know! Come on, nugs! Don't you have a brain!?"

"Oh, Lane, of course they do! It's just they choose not to use it."

The pair of them were laughing at their own ridiculously horrible jokes hard enough to bring attention to themselves as they made their way to the stables. Erik managed to get himself together enough to guide the horse into the stable yard and dismount. He reached up and helped Elena from the saddle, settling her against the fence, where she held on to the top rail, standing on one foot. He unsaddled the horse while she finished giggling. From behind her she heard a man clear his throat.

"Herald, a word?" He called out to Erik in a voice that sent a chill down her spine. She turned around and saw Cullen standing there, hands clasped behind his back, looking pointedly not-at-her.

Erik walked over, and lifted Elena's arm around his shoulder, "Sure. Can you walk and talk? I want to get Elena into the Chantry to see Mother Giselle sooner rather than later."

Cullen's eyes slid down to hers and then quickly shot back to Erik's. Was that a blush? "Of-of course."

Erik nodded, hoisting Elena into his arms with ease before he began striding away with large smooth steps, "You've really lost some weight, Lane." He told her concern flavoring his voice, "What do you want for dinner tonight? You can have anything at all." Clearly, Erik was not going to entertain the Commander at the expense of his sister's care.

"What do you think they've got at the Maiden?" Elena queried, feeling a bit awkward. Erik was walking quickly, avoiding bumping her about with surprising ease and adeptness. She was impressed.

"I don't know. Let's ask the Commander." Erik looked up at Cullen with a warm smile, "Commander, what does Flissa have for food at the Singing Maiden tonight? Do you know?"

Cullen sighed, "I don't. I usually eat in my quarters."

"Pity. Perhaps you could have joined us." Erik shrugged, "No matter. What would you like to discuss?"

"I just wanted to know when you intended to follow up on that Storm Coast matter with the Blades of Hessarian? They're reporting some darkspawn activity."

"Commander, we can discuss that once we get Elena settled, yeah?" Erik stopped at the Chantry door, "Do you mind opening that for me?" Cullen obliged and Erik brushed past him. Something was bothering him.

"Really, Erik, I don't mind if you want to—" Erik glared down at her cutting her off, "Or not." Cullen opened the door to Erik and Elena's shared quarters for them and Erik moved swiftly inside.

"I'll go get you some food." He told her, fluffing a pillow behind her back and pulling the blankets up around her hips. He turned and motioned for Cullen to follow him out of the door. It closed quickly, almost as if it had been pulled shut. From behind it Elena could hear Erik's raised voice. What was he upset about? After a few moments, silence fell and Elena was left completely alone. She sighed and scrunched herself down further under the covers and went to sleep.

"Lane." Erik patted her cheek gently, "Lane wake up." Her eyes fluttered open and he helped her sit upright. "I brought you some stew and bread. It was all they had at the Maiden tonight. Camp food wasn't any better. This smelled the best." He explained as he placed a tray across her lap.

She picked up the spoon on the tray and looked at him, blinking blearily, "Thanks. Where's yours?"

Erik shook his head, "I've got plans with Dorian tonight. He's catching me up on the latest gossip around Haven."

"You really like him, huh?"

"Who?"

"Dorian."

Erik noticeably went pink about the ears, "Well, he's a lot of fun. He's very different from everyone else around here."

"And he's handsome." Elena pointed out from around her food. The stew was delicious. It had large chunks of meat and vegetables in a flavorful broth. It was warm, but not scalding. She hadn't had anything this good since before she left Haven in the first place. She paused in her chewing, thinking about that. The last time she had had food this good was… when she ate with Cullen. She put her spoon down and swallowed.

"Oh, he's _very_ handsome." Erik agreed giving her a wink, "And he knows it, too."

Elena nodded silently, "What were you yelling at the Commander about?"

"What?"

"What. Were you. Yelling. At the Commander. About?" Elena broke her question up into shorter sections, saying each one carefully and loudly, "You know. Earlier."

Erik sighed and turned away from her, "I was upset with how he treated you."

Elena was genuinely puzzled, from what she had interpreted he hadn't done anything wrong. "How so? I don't feel like his mistreated me."

"I didn't think you did. Like I said, I was upset with how he treated you."

"Ok, but you didn't answer my question."

"Elena, when someone you know personally is sick or hurt, what do you do? What did Mother teach us?"

"You check on them and help if you can."

Erik nodded sagely, "Did he even greet you at the stables?" Elena shook her head, "Did he ask about how you were feeling?" Elena shook her head again, "Did he immediately start speaking to me about business when it was obvious that I had other, more important things to attend to?" Elena raised her arms up. "You don't know? You were _there_!"

"What's important to you may not be important to him."

"Elena, _you_ are important!" Erik shouted and quickly brought his voice to a slightly lower decible, " _You_ are obviously someone both of us care about but only one of us was acting like it." He looked away from her, obviously trying to get himself under control.

"Well, duh, but he may have seen me standing there and thought 'Oh, she must be feeling well enough for me to ask a simple question.'" She said jumping to defend Cullen for some unknown reason, " _And_ , Erik, you know Cullen—"

Erik whipped his head to look her directly in the face and whispered, "What did you call him?"

"Cullen. That's his name."

"He's your commanding officer."

"So? He called me Elena before I left." She pouted, "What does it matter? They're only names."

"He called you by your first name!?"

"Yes, Erik, he calls _you_ by your first name!"

"No, he doesn't!" Erik stood and started pacing.

Elena was confused again, "What is happening? I wasn't done arguing with you!"

"Oh, oh yes you are." He swooped in close to her, "Listen to me, little sister. That… that man… is _not_ to call you by your first name. You are _not_ to call _him_ by his first name. He is Commander or Commander Rutherford to _you_. You are anything but Elena to _him_. I won't have my sister messing around with a man ten years older than her. Especially not Cullen Rutherford." He paused, his blue eyes searching her own, "Am I understood?"

Elena felt her hackles rise, "Who do you think you are? Telling me who I can and cannot call by their given name? Mother would be appalled to hear you speak so to me!"

"Mother! Elena Mother would be _happy_ I told you to not be so familiar with him! He's not a good person!"

"How do you know!?"

"He was second in command in Kirkwall, Elena! He's got this thing with the mages-"

Elena decided enough was enough and interrupted him "ALL Templars have this thing with the mages! Just because you're thinking about fooling around with one doesn't mean I can't be friends with Cullen!" She spat his name out with spite for her brother's ridiculousness.

"You think he's your friend? Would your friend ignore you when you came home with injuries so severe you had to be escorted individually by the Herald of Andraste?"

"You aren't usually so quick with that title, but now that it's convenient to your point- here you are the big, bad Herald of Andraste. You don't even believe all that nonsense, Erik. You're just mad because you can't be the boss of me anymore. Cullen is weird about social interactions sometimes. He probably didn't know what to say to me and so he chose to say nothing until he can get his thoughts together. For Andraste's sake, think about things from other people's points of view before you go making wild-accusations and forbidding me from forming relationships with them!" She grumbled, coming to a stop and pushing her stew away from herself. She crossed her arms and stared into the fire moodily.

"If you want to fool around with that man, then _fine_! But when you learn who he truly is, don't come crying to me about it!" He spun on his heel and stormed from the room, slamming the door so hard that a vase toppled from a nearby shelf and shattered on the floor. She felt her lips tremble and then the door opened again, Erik thrust his head back inside, "Eat your stew!"

Elena picked up the bowl, "I'm not," She lobbed it at him, "hungry!" The bowl flew across the room and smashed onto the wall, but Erik was already gone. She threw her hunk of bread at the door as well. Her resolve had completely vanished and she burst into tears. She hated fighting with her brother and leaving it like that. It was so childish of them to behave like that. She rolled over, bringing her pillow against her chest and cried herself to sleep.

 **Author's Note: In which find out pretty definitively that Erik and Dorian are almost definitely a thing and that Elena has really grown into an independent woman who don't need her brother's approval to be interested in a man. Erik, on the other hand, can't let go of her being his little sister. To him, she's probably still twelve. Elena, however, still thinks he's pretty great even though he snubbed her pretty hard. She's willing to forgive cute guys for their misdeeds like most people. Something about thinking someone is dreamy really makes it easy to let things like that just go... annnyyywaaaay Happy Holidays! Peace and blessings be upon you. -Danbamina**

 **PS: Here's a fun holiday story from my real life. One time, I made nachos and I had asked my sister, who was visiting for Christmas, if she wanted any. She said no. So I made nachos. When they came out of the oven (I had broiled them) she saw what she thought was a surplus of nachos and started trying to eat them. I told her they were all for me (there really weren't that many). And so she picked up one and threw it at me. Then, we got into a fight about nachos. She was 23 and I was 17. Yep... The End.**


	7. Elena and the Commander

**Dedicated to:**

 **My amazing Beta reader, who asked me to dedicate this chapter to her.**

 **Without her, we would not have this chapter.**

 **I 3 Ms. Dank**

 **Chapter 7**

Erik had left in the night to go to the Storm Coast. Elena knew it was because he was upset with her. She still didn't really understand why his opinions of Cullen should really affect her opinions of him. She liked the Commander. She thought about him as she and Mother Giselle made their slow and careful way down to the lake side. Cullen, to her, was a constant guiding light. He was someone she wanted to view her in a positive, favorable way. She welcomed his calm authority on the training courts. When other trainers were yelling or upset he would walk over and snap both parties into line with quick, decisive words that sprung from a place of experience. He allowed his soldiers to relax when it wasn't needful for them to be vigilant and never minded that they poked fun at him from time to time. Sometimes, she admitted to herself, he wasn't the most tactful in his conversation, but she felt it came from a place of good will.

Elena's thoughts wandered away from his personality as a commander to their more personal interactions. She had found he had a quiet sense of humor and was in favor of sarcasm and quick-witted remarks more than anything else. He was rather good at making her smile, which she liked. It was easy to smile with him and she could never quiet seem to simply say good bye to him. There was always something she felt she must say or do or add before good bye felt like the only option to stop her from making a complete fool of herself over one thing or another. That last good bye… he had called her by her name. It had felt like he was trying to say so much more than just 'I forgive you for being rude to me. I'm sorry for being rude to you. Let's go back to the way we were. Good luck out there, you'll be fine.' She felt like she had had more to say as well.

And then, the previous day, when he had come up behind her— Elena didn't know what she'd expected to happen, but it certainly wasn't what had. It didn't matter, though, now. She had a whole day to be at the training grounds with him and with no Erik around to scold her for being friendly with Cullen, she felt like she'd be able to figure out what she'd expected from their first meeting that hadn't happened. Mother Giselle was telling her what to do and what not to do today at training and Elena hadn't heard a word.

"Of course, I'll be very careful, Mother Giselle." Elena said smiling innocently at her, "I don't want these wounds to take longer than necessary to heal."

"Good. Then, I'll leave you with the Commander to look after you." Mother Giselle caught Cullen's attention and waved him over, "Commander, please take care of Elena today. She is not to walk on that leg. I didn't even want her to come here today, but she insisted." She shot Elena a withering look. Elena had convinced her by refusing her breakfast and clean bandages until Mother Giselle gave in, "When she is ready to return to the Chantry, send for me and I will come get her myself."

Cullen looked at Elena and nodded, "Very well. Thank you, Mother." He reached out and Elena grasped his arm firmly. He pulled her against him and wrapped the arm around her waist, holding her upright as she leaned into his armored chest, the fur of his cowl tickling her too-warm cheek, "I'll take good care of her." Mother Giselle nodded and left. Cullen took her chin in his gloved hand and gently turned her face to look into her eyes. "Your brother spoke to me last night." He said his voice pitched low, the words falling across her face. "I feel I must, once again, apologize for my insensitivity towards you." The world around them seemed to grow quiet and still. She stared into his brown eyes, which looked like pools of warm honey in the early morning light.

"You don't need to. I understand." Her eyes drifted down to his mouth. She idly wondered how he got that scar on his lip.

He shook his head, "No. You don't."

"Well, then… you could explain it to me." She went back to looking into his eyes again.

"I—I don't think I can." His arm tightened ever so slightly around her waist. Her breath caught in her throat. Something was happening between them, though she didn't have a name for it. Was he… leaning his head down just a little more than a second ago? Her heart started to race as she noticed his eyes were darting from her mouth to her eyes and back again.

"Ooooh." Elena said, thinking quickly, "You're shy. Is that it?" Clearly, he was not if he was holding her like this.

Cullen let out a singular breath of a laugh, "Not really." He looked up, shifting around her so she stood by his side, one arm draped over his shoulders. They began to hobble their way from the gate towards the training grounds, "I don't know what it is about you. You make me act like such a fool sometimes."

"I'm just a girl."

"You're not _just_ a girl, Elena." He muttered.

Elena stopped and looked up at him. He had said it again. It felt just as good hearing it, too. It warmed her whole body, sending the slight morning chill far from her awareness. "Cullen, do you—do you want—"

He had stopped too; they weren't too far from the tents, "Do I want… what?"

Elena took a breath and steadied herself; he hadn't even flinched at her use of his name. _Stupid girl. It's just a name remember?_ "Do you want to go to the Maiden tonight? We're all going to meet there now that I'm up and about."

"I'll think about it." He told her bringing her to a tent filled with new recruits. He helped her inside and sat her on a small stool, "Weapons maintenance today." He instructed quietly, and was gone. She looked at her troops and smiled. "The Commander is helping me walk because I can't use a proper crutch with this busted arm and leg of mine." She explained taking a cue from their befuddled expressions.

One of the recruits piped up, "What happened?"

Elena briefly told the story, "As you can tell, my weapons did their jobs because I maintained them properly. I didn't do my job because I was inexperienced and slow. I'm lucky to have gotten off this easily. Now, let's start with sharpening daggers. The same techniques can largely be applied to all cutting blades, like a sword, with some simple modifications."

The rest of the day passed quickly as she taught her lessons and answered questions about her mission in the Fallow Mire. She didn't really care for the latter, but it helped to get the recruits to take their work seriously. By the end of the day every one could sharpen a dagger, short sword, and axe blade. She was proud of her recruits' weapons and told them so. When Cullen came to collect her, he inspected some of their handy-work and returned it with a nod of approval each time. Finally, it was just the pair of them in the tent.

"Is Mother Giselle here?" Elena asked quietly.

Cullen shook his blonde head at her, "No. I thought I could take you back. That is, if you don't mind."

She smiled, "That sounds lovely." He bent and hoisted her up into his arms, bridal style. "I take it you're going to the Maiden with me, then?"

Cullen ducked out of the tent, "Yes."

Elena nodded, twirling her fingers around in the red-tinged fur on his shoulders, "I have to get my bandages changed first." She told him, "I think Erik would literally kill you if he heard you had been present for that."

"I'll meet you there. I'm sure Mother Giselle will help you get there."

"Actually, Marston is helping me tonight." She told him, gently petting his fur cowl. It was surprisingly soft. "What animal did this come from?"

"What're you—oh. I think it's wolf."

"Wolf! Did you kill the wolf? Is this a trophy?"

"No. I don't remember how I got it, but I didn't kill the wolf and then turn it into clothes." He chuckled.

"Well, that's nice." She told him, settling herself more comfortably in his arms and laying her head on his shoulder. She could feel the stubble of his beard against her head and sighed happily. It had been a good day of work and now she was going to be able to see her friends _and_ the Commander for dinner and drinks and possibly dancing. They entered the Chantry and Mother Giselle stepped away from a meeting with a dwarf. She scolded Cullen for not calling her, but helped get Elena settled in her room. Cullen left quickly and Mother Giselle busied herself with helping Elena undress. As she worked they spoke about their days. Mother Giselle had spent most of it arguing about the prices of herb shipments from various regions in Ferelden with the dwarf and arranging faster, safer transport for them. Elena told her of her evening plans with her friends and the Commander. Mother Giselle didn't need any more prodding and launched into a speech about "fraternizing with commanding officers." Elena couldn't help but start to laugh at that phrase.

"It is nothing to laugh at. The Commander has not always been an honorable man, my lady. You need to be careful with him." Mother Giselle admonished, tying the final knot in Elena's thigh bandage.

"I am careful with all men, Mother." She responded, rolling her eyes heavenward. Mother Giselle was a perfectly kind woman, but she was a little old fashioned.

"It is still nice to be reminded of such things from time to time." Mother Giselle undid the ragged braids behind Elena's ears and pulled a comb through the knots, "Your hair has grown. It looks nice at this length." She observed quietly, working a larger-than-normal knot out.

Elena reached up with her good hand and grabbed some of it, twirling it around her finger, "It's too long for fighting."

Mother Giselle put her comb back in its original spot just as there was a knock on the door. "That must be your guest." She went and opened it to reveal Marston. He stood there with his hands thrust into his belt loops, looking nervous.

"Hello Mother." He greeted the older woman, "Hello Elena, feeling up to some socialization tonight?"

Elena nodded, "Yes, please! I'm starved!" She reached out to him as he came over. He gently lifted her. Elena couldn't help noticing that it took him an extra second to pick her up from the chair. Cullen had no issue carrying her and he had been in armor. "I can walk if you set my feet down. I'm slow, but you won't have to hold me."

Marston shifted her up in his arms as they left the Chantry and turned left, "Won't be necessary, Trevelyan." He told her making his way through the door, "I carry a great axe around, remember?"

She shook her head, "What is it with men and carrying me around like a doll? I can walk. Put me down."

Marston looked down at her incredulously, "You can't be serious. You just had an arrow pulled out of your leg two weeks ago. The infection just cleared up a few days ago. You can't possibly put weight on it. You'll ruin any progress you made!" He shifted her in his arms again at the bottom of the stairs, "I won't allow it."

"Put me down, please, William." She said sternly, not liking that he was implying she was stupid and incapable at the same time. "I'm a grown woman. I can make my own decisions."

"Mother Giselle would be—"

"I don't care what that old bat has to say. Put me down." Marston gave in and set her on her feet. Elena tried to stand on her own. It hurt like seven hells but she managed to arrange herself so it only hurt like three hells. "SEE?" She said proudly, wobbling on her good leg, "I can do it!" She took a step, planning carefully, if she only kind of hopped from the bad leg to the good one in miniscule steps, she would be all right. It worked for a little bit. Marston hovered just to the side, his arms held out half-way.

"This is ridiculous, Elena!" He hissed at her, casting his eyes around, "Put your silly pride aside and let me help you. You're going to—"Too late; she left her weight on the bad leg a second too long and pitched forward. He caught her, hugging her close to his body, "Fall."

Elena was face first in his chest. She could feel his heart thundering beneath his shirt. He was panting. Elena had never noticed that Marston, while not as burly or brawny as the men she typically found herself looking at these days, he was a well-muscled man. He was usually kind, if a bit protective occasionally towards her. He looked down at her, scolding her for being so reckless. All she could think about was the way his eyes, full of worry, caught the bits of torch light coming from the brackets on the outside of the buildings. She'd never noticed before, but he had the most piercing blue eyes she'd ever seen. They were positively crystalline. She'd also never noticed how nice his face was. He had an angular jaw that he kept clean-shaven, well-defined if not high cheekbones, and thick, dark eyebrows.

"Are you listening to me?" He asked her, giving her a slight shake.

"Yes."

"Then what'd I say?" He scooted his face closer to hers, "Hmmm?"

Elena blushed; she kept getting unbelievably close to handsome men today and had no idea what to do with herself. "You said… OK I wasn't listening. I was thinking about how your eyes are kind of… beautiful."

He openly laughed at her, "Elena!" He continued, hoisting her arm around his shoulder and moving forward, "You are such a flatterer. No more tricks tonight."

She hadn't been flattering him, but if it got her out of a scolding for not listening, she was happy to keep her mouth shut about it. They hadn't been very far from the Singing Maiden when she had attempted to prove herself, so they arrived very shortly thereafter. Reeves rushed to her and took over for Marston, spilling talk forth in a way that Elena had never heard her do before. Porteur was already a little tipsy, pouring himself another mug of ale and munching on a bread roll at the same time. The Singing Maiden was filled with light and laughter and dancing. Maryden was in one of her best moods, singing upbeat songs instead of the usual slow ones that made Elena think about their meanings. Reeves settled her at the table with Porteur and went to the bar.

"Elena!" Porteur called to her, shoving a plate of food at her and plunking himself down beside her, "Eat up! We're celebrating your health tonight!" He draped an arm across the back of her chair and leaned in close to her, swallowing a gulp of ale. "We're so glad you didn't die. I think the Commander about had a conniption when he saw _us_ ride in without _you_." He started to laugh, "He looked at me and, oh, he was so cute. He looked at me all twitchy with his hands and he says to me he says," Porteur affected an exceedingly good impression of Cullen's voice, "'Where is the lady Trevelyan?' and I said 'She's with her brother.' Then he gets real shocked and goes 'Alone!' and I said 'Of course alone, all the rest of us are here. Do the math.' And then he got real angry with me and we had a talk about treating superior officers with respect and he gave me latrine duty for a _week_! So I've been shoveling shit today. That's why I need a drink!" He upended his mug and smacked his lips. "How've you been?"

Elena couldn't help but giggle at the retelling. Porteur had Cullen and his mannerisms well in-hand. "The Commander was worried about me?" She asked, taking a large gulp herself from the mug Porteur passed to her, "I mean, we're friends, but I didn't know he worried about anything other than the Inquisition."

Porteur nodded sagely, "Well of course. He's a man. You're a woman. A man worries about women. I know I spent the whole time in that ghastly swamp worrying about Reeves." He looked across the tavern at Reeves struggling to move through the crowd with two full pitchers, Marston trailing behind her with two pitchers of his own, "Isn't she beautiful?"

"Reeves? Yes, she's quite striking." Elena took another drink, "Speaking of the Commander… he will be joining us in a bit."

Porteur spit his drink across the table, "He _what_!?"

"He's going to join us." Elena repeated calmly. "I hope nobody minds, but he's a good friend of mine and I know he normally spends most of his free time alone so I thought I'd invite him."

Porteur sat back and squinted at her, "You didn't invite him for that."

"What on earth do you mean?"

"No, you invited him to get him drunk. Maker knows he needs a drink more than shit-shovelers like me." Porteur stared down into his mug, "Poor bastard's only ever known work. It'll be good for him to interact with normal folk."

"I don't think you qualify as normal, Recruit Porteur." Cullen's refined and silky voice cut through the noise of the tavern. Elena felt a ripple go down her spine as she looked over her shoulder to see him standing there. He'd removed his armor and was dressed simply in a white shirt with half-open lacing on the front, his furred cloak, light brown breeches and knee-high black boots. Porteur's face visibly lost all of its color. Elena giggled. "Good evening, my lady." Cullen told her, his honey-brown eyes flickering down to her. "Is this seat taken?" He indicated the seat to her right.

She shook her head, tucking an errant lock of hair behind her ear, "No, by all means, please be seated."

He sat next to her in a fluid motion and picked up an empty mug from the table. "Pass the ale please, I'm parched." Elena slid him the pitcher Porteur had been pouring from. She watched him pour the drink. He took several swallows and then removed his cloak, draping it on the back of the chair, "That's better." He said, turning to smile at her and Porteur, "Anything _fun_ happen today, Porteur?"

Porteur shook his head, "No sir, not until I got here."

Elena chimed in, "You should hear Porteur's impression of you! It's spot-on."

"Oh really?" Cullen dragged the two words out, giving Porteur a wicked stare. Elena could tell he was only teasing the younger man, and hid a smile behind her hand as Porteur's eyes got wide.

"Commander!" Reeves called out gaily as she plunked her pitchers down, followed quickly by Marston doing the same, "Elena didn't _tell_ me she invited you! How nice to see you outside of training!"

Marston was a little more reserved, but no less friendly, "Yes, Reeves, even the powerful people like to slum it with us army recruits from time to time." He poured himself a drink, "Of course, we're not just any old recruits. We're Elena's team. We survived Avaar imprisonment, the Fallow Mire, and training here. Not everyone can say that!"

Cullen chuckled, "Of course, not. Then, again not everyone is as amazing as you, Marston. Why, didn't you manage to lose your great axe in an Avaar's stomach? That really is quite a feat." He sipped his drink and leaned back casually, one hand hanging by his side, the other clutching his mug on the table. "I've never seen the tavern this lively before."

"We're celebrating!" Reeves told him, her face flushed as she sat on Porteur's left, "I don't know what everyone else is up to, but this table." She slapped the table harshly, "This table is celebrating!"

The night went on with fun and games and music. At one point, Porteur and Marston got up and sang a bawdy song about mermaids with Maryden while Reeves reinacted their story for the crowd. Elena sat and drank, laughing along with everyone, throwing in her own jokes and stealing looks at Cullen. He was so handsome in the tavern. His eyes danced with mirth and she'd never seen him smile so much as he did in the few hours they'd been in the tavern. He had a lovely smile. She wondered about that scar again. Reaching out, she placed a hand on his right cheek, turning his face to hers. He stopped speaking and became very still, his eyes searching her face.

"Elena?" He asked, his voice just loud enough for her to hear him, but she was pretty sure that no one else could, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, a slow, dreamy smile spreading across her lips, "I just wanted to look at you." She took her hand away and sank her chin into it, "Tell me, Cullen."

"Tell you what?" He was obviously feeling nervous because he leaned slightly away from her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"How'd you get that scar?" She touched a finger to her own lip indicating where his was on her own face, "It must be a terribly good story."

Reeves, Marston, and Porteur clattered into their seats laughing wildly, but Elena and Cullen didn't break eye contact. "What's going on with you two, then?" Marston asked his words slurring together.

"The Commander was going to tell me the story behind his scar." Elena explained, shooting Marston a withering look as she straightened herself up, "Or at least he was until you showed up."

"Tell us!" Reeves and Porteur chimed in together and then began babbling over each other, "I bet he got it working in Ferelden. Some little lass tricked him and got past his shield with her staff! Oo! Or he got a rock thrown at him! Oo! OR he got attacked by a cat!" They collapsed together on the table top still babbling together but laughing too hard to be understood.

"Get it together, you two!" Marston barked at them and then motioned at Cullen, "Go on then. Give us the story."

Cullen blushed underneath the flush the alcohol had given him, "It's—It's a long story." He looked at Elena apologetically, "Perhaps another time."

Elena looked away from him, pouting. Her friends had ruined a good story for her. "I think it's time for me to go home." She grumbled.

Cullen stood and flung his cloak around his shoulders. "I'll take you if you'd like." Elena nodded and, using the back of the chair for support, stood on her good leg. Cullen bent and scooped her into his arms, "Good night, all. Thank you for letting me join in." He told the three people sitting.

"Hey. Aren't you going to walk?" Marston shouted at Elena. "You wouldn't let me carry you like that!" He stood and walked around the table, to stand obstinately before her and Cullen. He was a half a head shorter and much less broad than the Commander, but that didn't seem to intimidate him. "Put her down. She likes to walk. She's not a baby."

Elena blushed, "Marston!" She hissed, her arm tightening around Cullen's neck as she leaned towards him, "Stop this."

"Well how come _he_ gets to carry you and _I_ don't! That ain't fair, Trevelyan!"

"Recruit Marston!" Cullen's voice was sharp and piercing and loud, "You've over-stepped your bounds." The tavern's noise ceased as everyone stopped and stared.

Elena glared at him, "I can handle this, Commander. He's my soldier. Put me down, please." Cullen set her on the ground and put an arm around her waist, holding her up as she let go of his shoulder. "Come here." She whispered, motioning to the man in front of her. Steel settled in her spine as he got closer, "You're drunk. Go home." She looked behind her at the table, catching Reeves' eye. The Elf nodded and got Porteur's attention. They both came as quickly as they could manage and stood behind Marston.

"You needed us, Corporal?" Reeves asked, hiding a hiccup behind her hand. Porteur swayed a little on the spot beside her. Even drunk these two knew their duty. Marston, though… Elena wished he was the same. He was not, however, and so he must be dealt with.

"Take Recruit Marston to the barracks." She ordered locking eyes with Marston as she did so. "Clean him up. I'll discuss this with him tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am!" Porteur saluted and grabbed onto Marston's shirt sleeve, tugging him a little ways backwards, "Come on, William. Let's go before you make a fool of yourself."

Marston brushed him off, "I want her to answer me and then I'll go."

Elena took a large breath in, "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

Marston stepped closer to her, "I guess I don't really need an answer, seeing you stand there next to him. You know, we were all wondering why your brother sent you on that mission as the leader. You, who had no more experience than the rest of us, were made the leader on your first mission." He spat it out.

"I earned that right because I _do_ have more experience than the rest of you." She replied simply. This conversation was making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She stood away from Cullen's supporting arm, thanking the Maker for the alcohol that dulled the pain in her leg enough for her to do so. "And because I'm not some hot-headed half-wit like you."

Marston laughed, "No, that's not true. None of it is. We all know the reason why!" he motioned at the tavern as a whole, "We all know it's because of _him_!" Marston jabbed a finger at Cullen, "It's because you're his whore." Marston reached out and shoved her back towards him. She bumped into Cullen's arm, and he steadied her. Reeves and Porteur lunged forward, grabbing Marston's arms. Cullen moved with practiced ease, stepping forward and slamming a fist into Marston's face. A short upper cut straight from the shoulder with the added momentum of that singular step, Elena heard bone crack and watched as Marston's body went limp in his friends' arms.

Then, huffing, Cullen swept around to face the room, "Anyone else have something they'd like to say?" He paused, and made eye contact with everyone, "Very good. If you do, you know where to find me."

He swept Elena into his arms and out of the door into the cold night air. He walked swiftly; Elena could tell he was going back to the Chantry because they had exited through the side door and turned left in the dark alley between buildings. She felt hot all over her body, especially the places where hers touched his. Without his armor there, she could feel so much. She felt the strength in his arms as they supported her against his body. She felt the heat from his torso spread along the right side of her body. His chest was hard against her shoulder. She peeked up at his face. He was breathing heavily and looked absolutely furious. His blonde hair had become mussed in the night and a few locks fell forward onto his forehead where they bounced in time with his walk. His lips were pursed, but he was muttering. She couldn't understand what he was saying, but she imagined it wasn't anything a lady should hear. She pushed her fingers into the hair at the back of his head, surprised to find how soft they were. He looked down at her and stopped muttering.

"Cullen?" She asked hesitantly. He shook his head at her and looked up, some of the anger gone from the hard line of his jaw. She grew quiet again, praying that the world was only spinning from the ale. The tight feeling in her whole body told her she was wrong, but it was always worth a hope.

He roughly kicked the door to the Chantry open, and hurried past the alcoves to her room. The door had been left ajar, he kicked that one open so hard that as he strode through it, it swung closed behind him. He set her on her feet near the back wall and pushed his hands up into her hair on either side of her face, searching her eyes carefully. She reached up and held onto his shaking wrist, her own eyes searching his. His eyes, usually the color of liquid honey had changed with his anger. They were like two hard pieces of amber boring into what felt like her very soul. He had his jaw clenched and brow furrowed. Slowly, the anger faded and his expression relaxed. He let out a quivering, slow breath.

"I'm sorry." He told her, his voice cracking avoiding her eyes, "I'm so sorry to have caused this. Why must I always be so foolish around you?" He addressed a space just above her head.

"Marston is an ass." She told him softly. "Thank you." He scoffed. "Look at me, please." She tugged a little on his wrist. He obliged, and straightened himself up a little bit, bringing his body closer to hers. She felt surrounded by him. His hands in her hair felt warm and strong. He was so close to her, their faces a breath away from each other. His body was even closer; she could feel the heat pouring through his clothes onto her. Elena's body shivered pleasurably at this realization and her breath caught in her throat as she realized he was staring at her mouth. "You are not a fool." She whispered, "You are a good man."

He groaned, "No, I really am a fool." And pushed his lips against hers, one hand went behind her head, tilting her into the kiss, the other sliding past her shoulders and pulling her fully against him. She melted into it, her soft body molding itself against his hard one. He pushed her against the wall, shoving one of his thighs between her legs. She stood on tiptoe, her hand pushing itself into his hair and holding his face to hers. His hands roved freely, first holding her by the shoulders, then winding around her to pull her ever closer. He deepened their kiss, his tongue pushing past her lips and into her mouth to give her a playful lick. She responded in the same manner, relishing the feel of him kissing her. It was animalistic and primal. The way his arms and body stiffened against her as she pushed against him… He guided her back towards the bed, taking care for her leg. She kissed his neck hungrily, sucking on his fair skin. He let out a guttural sound and crashed his lips back onto hers with renewed fervor, still guiding her towards the bed.

Elena's one good hand pushed the cloak away from his shoulders before working on the already loose lacing on the front of his shirt, pushing the thick cotton up over his hips and stomach. She felt the bumps of his muscles beneath her hand and let out a delighted sigh against his mouth. He pushed her on the edge of the bed, breaking their kiss, and kneeled down before her. He reached up and grabbed hold of her hand before she could touch him again, looking away from her with embarrassment in every line of his face. They were both breaking hard in the silent room. He wet his lips with his tongue and cleared his throat.

"What's the matter?" She asked softly, suddenly concerned.

"We should stop this." He told her, letting go of her hand and tugging his shirt back into its proper place. "I should never—never have—" He looked up into her eyes and stopped himself. "I've got to go." He stood and turned to leave.

"Cullen!?" She called, reaching out to him. Why did her heart feel so tiny all of a sudden? It had been so full a moment ago.

He paused with the door open and turned his face so she could hear him, "Good night, my lady." He said and was gone. She heard the Chantry door slam closed and looked around her room, feeling utterly lost. Her lips trembled. She had never been so thoroughly or so passionately kissed before. He had taught her what it meant to be kissed and had left like it was nothing. She felt her heart pull itself into a tighter ball and break in half. The tears started flowing then and she pushed herself from the bed. She fell, landing on her injured shoulder and hardly noticed the pain it sent through her. She rolled over and crawled along the floor towards the door, determined to speak to him. She reached out to pull herself along again and was met with the thick scarlet wool of Cullen's cloak in her hand. She pulled the cloak over to her and sat up, sniffling. He had left it. She wrapped the furred garment around herself and waited. He would come back for this. It was cold outside and his tent was far away near the lake. Elena dried her tears and watched the door. _He will come back. He has to._

 **Author's Note: I'm just going to leave this here. Peace and Blessing be upon you all. -Danbamina**


	8. Elena and the Calm

**Chapter 8**

Several weeks passed with Elena trying to return the Commander's cloak, and him pointedly avoiding her causing her to be unable to do so. She grew frustrated and distant with him. She could understand now why Erik and Mother Giselle had cautioned her against the Commander. What she didn't and couldn't understand was how a man could defend her honor, kiss her with a passion to rival a thousand burning suns, leave his clothes in her room, and then refuse to speak to or be near her. Her friends did their best to keep her distracted, but Marston always hung around them, and she couldn't help but feel he was partially to blame for the outcome of that fateful night. She hadn't gone into the night thinking she'd get the kiss of a lifetime, but that's what had happened. She also hadn't gone into the night thinking that she would be turning herself into a pining imbecile either, but here she was. Pining for his touch, a greeting, a look, or something! The Commander, for all intents and purposes, acted as if she didn't even exist. She was stomping around, slashing at the training dummies with her good arm while trying to maintain a shield height, thinking about all of this when her brother found her.

"Elena!" He called out, strolling up to her, "So I heard an interesting story…" He started coming to a halt behind her dummy.

Elena sunk her blade into the dummy's stomach with a grunt and straightened up, pushing her hair out of her face. "Oh yeah? What about?" She panted, pretty sure she knew what about. He'd just arrived home from the Storm Coast a little while ago and was now down here after meeting with his council. She put her shield to the ground, and rubbed her aching shoulder.

Erik assumed an innocent air and leaned on the impaled dummy's shoulders, looking around its stuffed head at her, "Some little birdie told me the Commander had drinks with you and your friends."

Elena nodded, "Yeah, so what?" She placed her hands on her hips and paced in a small circle.

"And he ended up knocking Marston out in one punch because he called you Cullen's whore." Erik's face contorted as he tried not to smile broadly at her, he failed.

Elena kicked the ground and stood still, "Well, of course. I'm not his whore." She told him calmly. "I'm not even sure what we are anymore."

"You were something other than the friends you claimed to be?"

Elena shook her head, "No. Maybe we would've been something in the future but…" She raised her hands to the sky and let them fall again where they thumped against her legs, "Maker knows what happened. I sure don't."

Erik grew serious, "What happened? What did he do?"

Elena rolled her eyes, "Would _stop_ that nonsense! I thought you'd moved past whatever it is you have against him when you came down here needling me like that!" She snapped at him, "Nothing happened!" She started pacing again, hands on hips, determined not to look him in the eye. "Sweet Maker give me strength."

Erik wasn't to be appeased so easily, "Then, explain why I saw his cloak in our room? How'd that get there?"

Elena stopped in her tracks, thankful she was facing away from him as she felt her face turn bright pink, "Oh, he… he uh… he lent it to me?"

Erik came around to face her, "I'm going to let you think of a better lie, or better still, the truth, and try again. Why are his clothes in our room?" He placed both hands on her shoulders and held her firmly still. Elena remained obstinately silent. "Whenever you're ready, Lane…"

She tried to brush his hands off of her shoulders, "Let go, Erik."

"I will once you answer me."

She grimaced at him, "The truth is he let me borrow it. He took me home after our night at the Singing Maiden. It was cold. He lent me his cloak and he won't take it back." It was mostly the truth, a good lie.

Her brother squinted at her, "At least this lie is more convincing." He told her taking his hands away, "There's nothing for me to worry about _is_ there?"

She shook her head, "No there never was. He doesn't really want me anyway."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that!" Dorian's posh voice chimed in, "I've been looking all over for you, Herald. We really need to gather the mages if we're to get this thing done soon."

"Dorian! What? Are you leaving so soon? Where are you going?" Elena couldn't pick what to say first, so she said it all as she hugged the Tevinter mage fiercely around the neck. "Tell me _everything_."

"I see who the favorite is." Erik said laughing, "I'm glad you two get on so well without me." Elena and Dorian both turned their heads and stuck their tongues out at him. "That's not polite!"

"Who cares what's polite?" Dorian replied, "It's fun being impolite." Elena nodded in agreement, "Anyway, my dear," Dorian continued, stepping away from Elena and crossing his arms across his chest, "The gossip around the village is that the Commander is behaving strangely. He keeps going to speak with Cassandra about something mysterious. If you want to know more about him, _that's_ who I'd go speak to." He chuckled, "Or you could try your own luck with the Commander. I'm sure a pretty thing like you could get more out of _him_ than Cassandra." He gave a hearty chuckle and winked at her.

Erik stepped up beside Dorian and interrupted, "She won't go speak to either of them if she's smart. To address your second question: We are leaving again. This time, though, we're not going far. We'll be back by tomorrow night at the latest."

"Where are you going?"

Dorian and Erik shared a weighted look, "We're going to close the Breach, Lane." Erik whispered soberly. "It'll be dangerous, but if I succeed, all of Thedas will be safe once again."

Elena looked between the two of them, feeling their anxiety in her own throat, "You promise you'll come home tomorrow night?" She asked quietly.

Dorian stepped forward and patted her shoulder, "Of course, my dear, it's going to take a _lot_ more than some hole in the sky to dispose of me!" He took his hand away and looked at her a little sadly, "Though, if it does, I hope you'll remember me fondly."

She nodded, "Of course I will. You're the only person from Tevinter I've ever liked."

"That sets my mind at ease." He said walking away, "Come along once you're done here, Erik."

Erik looked at Elena and rubbed his neck nervously, "I've got a lot to say to you, don't I?" He asked smiling sheepishly at her, "Please, don't interrupt." Elena nodded and settled herself more comfortably on her feet. "I'm sorry for how I left things last time. I'm not Father and I shouldn't try to act like him. I just want you to know I care about you and when I see you growing up and making decisions about who to spend your time with without me… I get a little crazy. Especially after what I'd just brought you home from. I don't think I could bear it a second time if something like that happened again." He stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug, "I love you, Elena. You're my only sister. I hope you'll forgive me for being an over-bearing ass."

"Of course I forgive you Erik. I'm sorry for everything, too. I know I'm not the easiest person to talk to sometimes. I have such strong opinions and I hate being bossed around, especially by you. You usually don't try and boss me, so when it does happen I don't always react the best way. I'm sorry. Please forgive me." She told his shoulder, returning his hug.

"All is forgiven." He said, tightening the hug for a couple of seconds before releasing her, "Dorian is right. I had better get going." He paused and looked at her, "You really have grown into a beautiful woman. Mother would be proud." He ruffled her hair as he walked past her, "See you tomorrow night, Lane." She tried to duck away from his hand but not very hard. He chuckled at her and left, sticking his hands into his back pockets as he went.

Elena watched him go, a lump in her throat. Her eyes stung and a few tears managed to escape her lashes. She felt eyes on her and turned her head to see the Commander watching her. She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes across the back of her arm before turning to sling her shield across her back and pull her sword from the dummy's stomach. That was enough exercise for the day. Sliding her sword into its sheath she stalked up the road, past the training grounds and into the woods. She wanted to be alone. She didn't want to think about the Commander anymore. He had made his choice, though it felt like he had left a window open with his cloak still lying in her room.

Snow started to fall as she walked. She rubbed her arms briskly and picked up her pace. She wandered to the opposite side of the lake and sat on the dilapidated pier there, listening to the rams snorts and gallops around behind her. She watched her brother and his companions head from Haven up the mountain, their horses tossing their heads and they trotted forward. She watched as training came to a close and everyone left. She watched the forge and stables shut down. She watched the sun set. And still she sat there, only now she watched the Breach. Snow settled on her, she brushed it off and curled her knees into her chest, wrapping her arms around them and placing her head on her arms. She stared at the green glow of the Breach bleeding into the starry night sky. Elena enjoyed the quiet stillness of this side of the lake. She let her mind stay blank, refusing to think about anything in particular. As the night deepened, a cold settled into her body.

Once the cold started to cause her injuries to ache, she slipped down from the pier and walked across the lake. It had been frozen solid for so long, she didn't even worry about it cracking. The glow of Haven, the stars, and the Breach reflected back at her from blue-black, snow dotted ice beneath her feet. She reached the other side and clambered up the bank, past the trebuchet and was met by the Commander. He had his cloak draped over one arm. As she passed him, he wrapped it around her shoulders, leaving his hands there. He gently guided her to his tent and ushered her inside. She sat on his bed and leaned her head into her hands. Elena didn't really care where she was, but it was nice to be surrounded by his things. He had old books and rolled up maps cluttering his table on which was a map of Thedas with notes and drawings made all over it. Hanging from the wooden supports were more maps and battle plans. In the only chair in the room rested his sword and shield, which he moved so he could be seated. They sat in silence, waiting. She didn't know why he hadn't gone with Erik to the Breach, but, then again, she didn't really care.

At length, she sat up and pushed the cloak from her shoulders. She looked at him blankly. He looked back at her, worry on his face. She sighed and stood, going to the entrance flap and lifting it to look outside. Snow blew in with a gust of wind; she shivered and let the flap fall. Elena looked around as she pulled the shield from her back and unbuckled her sword. She set them down next to the bed and looked around idly, noting the furs that covered the floor and the few personal pictures on his bookshelf. There was a loud explosion from the top of the mountain. Elena felt it in her heart and looked at him, frightened. He stood and wrapped her in his arms, holding her tightly. After a few moments of this, she pushed away and looked out into the night sky again. The Breach was gone. Erik would be heading back soon enough… if he had survived.

Elena turned to look at Cullen, "Commander?" She queried, but was met instead with a kiss. His hands pulled her to him, crushing her in his embrace. She went soft in his arms, twining her own around him.

He pulled away, "I thought you had stopped calling me that, Elena." He said his voice rough and deeper than usual. His eyes darted around her face as if he were trying to memorize every inch of her.

Elena blinked at him and felt a couple of tears slide down her cheeks, "I thought you hated me."

Cullen reached up and cupped her cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb, "I'm starting to doubt that I ever could."

 **Author's Note: The calm before the storm. Peace and Blessings**


	9. Elena and the Storm

**Author's Note: WOW! I've been writing so much these past few days. I totally neglected to make author's notes like I normally do so I could get back to writing this saga of mine. Enjoy this chapter! I tried my best with it. Let me know what you think in a review down below. :)**

 **Shout Out To My New Follower: abellew1987 - Thanks for the support! You rock!**

 **Chapter 9**

Elena and Cullen were sitting on his bed now chatting. Elena sat at the head, holding a pillow in her lap, while Cullen had positioned himself at the foot facing her. It was comfortable and served to distract her from waiting for Erik to come down the mountain. The night was wearing on nicely.

"You never did tell me how you got your scar." Elena started, smoothing the pillow out in her lap.

"I never did." Cullen agreed, snatching the pillow from her, "It's a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?" Elena nodded and scooted closer to him, taking the pillow back. "All right, remember that you asked me to bore you. As you probably know, I was a Templar in Kirkwall's Circle. I was there when everything happened." His eyes took on a misty appearance as he stared off into space, remembering, "I had helped Hawke and Anders take down Meredith, though I still don't fully understand why I did that. I'd helped to ruin Kirkwall, but there I was looking at these two men who I should have apprehended. Instead, I let them go. Then, I went about doing what I could to patch up Kirkwall. There were still fights going on and I rarely rested, feeling responsible for it all. Abominations, rogue mages, rogue Templars, all manners of nasty people running around everywhere, and just a handful of us to help restore order." He reached up and touched the scar, "It happened a day or so after Meredith. I was locked in combat with a mage. I ran in to deliver a blow and she whacked me in the face with her staff. It hurt like hell and stunned me. Luckily, I wasn't alone or I surely would have been killed. My companion killed the mage and when they turned to look at me, they pointed out the cut her staff blade had left. It bled heavily, my clothes were already ruined or I would've been upset about all the blood getting onto my shirt. My companion helped me get to a healer quickly, but the healer was a mage. After having gone through… everything so recently, I must say my pride and ignorance took hold of me. I refused magical healing which would have left me as I was. Instead, I insisted on stiches and elf root salve. It healed and now I have the scar." He swallowed nervously, "I don't really care for mages, you know."

Elena shrugged, "I know few Templars who do."

"So, that's the story. Not as glamorous as some of the other scars I've got, but those are… private."

Elena got real close to him, "You have _other_ private scars?" She asked a wicked gleam in her eye as she scanned his armored body. Cullen eased away from her just as the sound of many horses trotting reached their ears. Elena's face split into a smile. "Erik!" She exclaimed and leapt from the bed. She dashed through the tent flap and stood in the middle of the road, looking at each rider as they passed her. Many were mages she didn't know. She was Cassandra and Solas and Blackwall and Iron Bull… then, at the very back she spotted Dorian and Erik laughing together. "Erik!" She called out, noticing Cullen emerging from the tent, cloak around his shoulders, "Erik!"

Erik looked away from Dorian and smiled, he kicked his horse into a faster gait and swept her up onto the saddle in front of him, "I told you I'd be back!" He said, "It was really _much_ easier than I thought it would be."

Elena hugged her brother, "I'm so glad! Was anyone hurt?"

Dorian let out a hearty laugh as he pulled up alongside them, "Not at all! And what did I see? Were you coming from the Commander's tent?"

Elena blushed, "Yes… we—we made up." She looked at Erik from underneath her lashes. Her brother had gone stiff the second Dorian had said 'Commander.'

"That's good, then. You can stop moping and worrying about him. He's quite a man." Dorian told her, "Let's celebrate! Listen! You can already hear them starting inside!" They pulled their horses to a half and slid off of them. Hostlers came and took their mounts.

Erik reached out and grabbed her by the arm, pulling Elena around to face him, "You 'made up?'"

Elena looked at his stern face and the firm grip he had on her upper arm apprehensively, "Yes. We're back to normal, the Commander and I. I returned his cloak to him. So you won't have to worry about that."

"Elena… what did you do?"

She removed herself from his grasp and danced backwards away from him, "A lady never discusses such things with others in public." She teased and walked off. She heard Erik let out a frustrated grunt and start to follow after her.

"Oh let her be, Erik!" Dorian said, "She's only going to be young once. Let her love who she wants to."

"That's fine with anyone but him. You know—" Erik explained angrily, not troubling to keep his voice down, but Elena had left hearing range and was glad of it. She made her way into Haven and found her friends. Marston was happily absent for the time being, so she settled in with themaround their fire.

Porteur was spinning around with wild abandon, shouting at the top of his lungs. "I LOVE THE HERALD! PRAISE THE HERALD!"

Elena looked at Reeves quizzically, "What did you put in his drink?"

Reeves laughed and handed her a mug, "Nothing, have a drink of your own." There was warm cider inside, and they both took a hearty swallow, watching their friend be ridiculous. "How's your brother?"

Elena nodded, wiping her mouth off, "He's fine if a bit peeved at me."

Reeves leaned in closer, "Oh? Why would be peeved? What'd you do?"

Elena blushed, "It's not what _I_ did. It's what's happened to me."

Reeves' eyes brightened as she sipped her cider patiently, "Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to guess?" Elena remained silent, "All right, I'll guess then." Reeves scanned the horizon, thinking as they both continued to drink their cider. "It's something to do with the Commander?"

Elena nearly spit out her drink, "No!"

Reeves' thoughtful look turned to glee, "Oh by Andraste it surely is! And if it's happened to—NO! You didn't!" Reeves pushed Elena playfully, "Went and bagged yourself a leader didn't you! Way to go, he's a tough nut to crack I'll wager." She gave Elena a playful wink, "But he wasn't that tough a nut for you; now was he Elena?"

Elena pushed her back, "Carrina! The Commander and I haven't done anything like _that._ " She protested, catching Reeves' drift.

"But you _have_ done something then? Don't tell me!" She slapped a hand over Elena's mouth, "I want to guess!" Elena began to think that maybe Reeves had added something to their drinks since she herself was starting to feel a little extra playful and Reeves wasn't acting so normal either. "Oh! I know! He was carrying you real familiar like the other night. Did he kiss you good night?"

Elena spat out her cider all together and tackled her friend, clapping her hands over the Elf's mouth, "Shut it! You want the whole camp to know?"

Reeves screamed from behind Elena's hands and pushed the other woman away from her, rolling on top of her and holding her hands hostage by the wrist in a movement that Elena promised herself she'd get Reeves to teach her one day. "You slut! You kissed Cullen and you liiiiked it! You liked it when he held you close and looked at you with those somber eyes of his. You thought to yourself, 'Oh my! I'm just a wee little girl! I can't believe this strong handsome man wants me!' and then I bet you swooned!" Reeves cackled manipulating Elena's hands and around dramatically while she mimicked Elena's voice.

"Get off of me!" Elena laughed, sitting up and shoving her friend down to the ground, "You're horrible when you're drunk!"

"Only I'm not drunk, you are!" Reeves quipped back, rolling on the ground consumed by her mirth. "'Oh Commander Rutherford, take me now!'" She couldn't control herself. Elena jumped on her, wrestling to get a good hold on the agile Elf and stop her from shouting all of this private business to the world.

By this point, Porteur and Marston had wandered over and were watching the women play fighting on the ground. "What's gotten into the two of you?" Marston asked bending down and separating them.

"Elena and Commander Rutherford kissed!" Reeves told him, falling backwards again in a fit of laughter, "And she's so embarrassed about it that she can't even tell me straight. So I've had to guess what happened." Reeves rolled onto her belly and got to her hands and knees before crawling to the fire and collapsing on a log there, "Oh, Maker, I need another drink."

Porteur shoved a mug into Marston's astonished hands. "Drink up, friend. That's a cause for celebration! Someone has finally managed to bring a little joy into that bloody bastard's life!" He clapped Marston on the back and went to sit with Reeves by the fire.

Elena stood up, dusting off her breeches and looked at Marston. "Well?"

His blue eyes were full of a kind of astonished betrayal she didn't take a liking to. His whole, lean body was tight with some kind of emotion as he stood there holding the mug Porteur had given him staring at her, "Is that true?" He whispered.

"That Cullen and I kissed? Yes. We've kissed a number of times now."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Oh maybe because every time I so much as mention him someone around me loses their mind… and not always in a fun way, I might add!" She spat a glob of dirt from her mouth, "Gross. Do you have a problem with that?"

"He's your commanding officer, Elena." Marston told her, "That's not right. What if he's taking advantage of you?"

"William. Let me put this to you as monosyllabically as I possibly can… I… don't much care for… your opinion… nor did I… ask… for it." She took the couple steps to the fire and poured herself a drink, before turning around and motioning for him to be seated, "So if you want to join in the fun, please do, but leave my relationships out of it."

Reeves slung her arm around Elena, "Hear, hear!" She cried as she crashed their mugs together, "To the Breach! May we never see its like again!" The four of them downed their drinks and Marston served the next round. They drank several more mugs of hot cider before the dancing commenced. Elena twirled around with whoever was nearby. She didn't really take notice of who was coming and going from their fire so lost was she in the joviality of it all. Not a soul in Haven was worried. For the first time since she had arrived, the place felt free and light. By and by the night turned into a pale gray, heralding the dawn to come.

Elena stopped to observe the sky. Clouds scudded past the mountains, birds chirped as they flew around on their morning errands. She looked behind her to see Erik speaking with Cassandra in the middle of the square. Suddenly, the alarm bells started chiming. She heard the marching of thousands of feet rhythmically beating in the distance behind the clanging bells. Elena's friends dropped their mugs and looked at her.

"Forces approaching! To arms!" Cullen's clear voice cut through everyone's stunned silence.

"Get to the gates!" She shouted at them, darting off in the direction of Cullen's tent. She felt her arm be grabbed and was yanked around to face the person. "Commande," She breathed out, her racing heart settling as his hand tightened on her upper arm, his breath escaping his mouth in a puff of clouded air. "Let me go."

He relinquished her, "Take care."

Elena nodded, jogging away and out of the front gate. It slammed closed behind her. She ducked into his tent, thanking Andraste that his tent was so nearby. She gathered her sword and shield and paused, listening. She heard a few soldiers approach and then the sounds of battle. It didn't last long.

"I can't come in unless you open!" A strange voice called out. Elena looked outside to see the gates opening to a man as he killed an enemy mage. Erik and Cullen rushed out to stop beside the newcomer. "I'm Cole. I came to warn you. To help. People are coming to hurt you. You probably already know."

"What is this? What's going on?" Erik demanded, bow in hand, an edge of steel in his voice.

"The Templars come to kill you." Cole said in a low, threatening tone.

"Templars!?" Cullen interjected outraged, "Is this the Order's response to our talks with the mages? Attacking blindly?" He looked at Erik, who looked at Cole, both waiting for an explanation.

"The Red Templars went to the Elder One." Cole told Cullen simply and then turned to Erik, "You know him. He knows you. You took his mages. There." Cole pointed across the lake to where a form could be seen manifesting beside another man.

It was hideous to behold. Bits of red stone stuck from his malformed face. He was impossibly tall and thin like a skeleton with skin stretched over its bones. A great fur circled his shoulders and armor adorned his black robe as his sole garment. He had long fingers that looked to be tipped with knives. Elena felt sheer horror grip her chest. This, this couldn't be happening.

"He's very angry that you took his mages." Cole said ominously.

Erik turned, "Cullen! Give me a plan! Anything!"

"Haven is no fortress. If we are to withstand this monster, we must control the battle. Get out there and hit that force. Use everything you can." Cullen explained; Elena could see him thinking as he spoke, but he sounded so calm. He turned and pulled his sword from its sheath, addressing the gathered soldiers and mages, "Mages! You! You have sanction to engage them! That is Samson! He will not make it easy! Inquisition! With the Herald! For your lives! For all of us!" The gathered people gave a war cry and charged into battle. Elena was found by her friends quickly, they fell in around her as they charged up to the closest Trebuchet with Erik.

The battle was fierce. Elena focused on one enemy at a time. It seemed to be going well until the Templars storming up the lakeside started to shift, contort, and transform into hideous beasts. They had crystals protruding from corrupted skin and horrible, beastly faces. They ceased looking like men before her very eyes. This fresh horror caused Elena to lose ground as she back-pedaled away from the monstrous creature before her. Was this a Red Templar? What made them Red? The crystals the thing threw at her with magnificent force and accuracy shattering against her shield were red. The pieces, when they grazed the skin on her face burned like acid. To have that boiling beneath the skin must be agony, no wonder they were so enraged.

Deciding that retreating from the terrible thing was the worst idea; she leaped to the side, resettled herself into a better fighting stance and charged, bashing the thing with her shield. Her shoulder ached terribly where the new muscles worked hard to keep up with her more seasoned ones. Her thigh twinged uncomfortably as she bore the creature to the ground. Its arms flailed at her, grasping for any purchase on her. Elena felt its sharp fingers brush past her face and twist themselves into her hair. They landed the creature on its back with Elena on its stomach. She raised herself up; still keeping the shield pressed against the creature and jabbed downwards with her sword. The metal punched through its neck with ease. Its grasping hand fell from her hair and thumped against the ground limply. _Thank goodness they don't have armor when they get like this_. She thought, yanking the sword out and clambering off her fallen foe to rejoin the battle.

Elena locked swords next with an uncorrupted Templar. He was much wilier than the monster she had just faced down. He came at her with precision and speed. He was much fresher than she was and he didn't have an old injury weakening with every blocked blow. She gritted her teeth and dug deep inside herself for strength. Keeping her shield up for this long was wearing her out. She blocked blow after blow, each one roaring through her like a battering ram. She managed to disengage and circle her enemy, thinking fast. He started to charge at her with unnatural speed, she dodged to the side and spun, slicing across the backs of his legs where she knew Templar armor was weak. He grunted, stumbled, and fell. He rolled to face her, his shield he had flung away when he fell. She stood over him, panting and thanking the Maker for her fortunate luck. He held his hands up to her, shouting for mercy. She bashed them aside with her shield and plunged her sword deep into his heart. He spluttered out a bubble of blood and was dead. _Horrific._

Elena straightened and looked around herself. They had cleared this trebuchet of enemies and it was firing now. The soldiers manning it shouted that the other one wasn't firing. Erik didn't say a word. He and his team turned and ran towards it. She tried to lift her shield up. Her arm lacked the strength so she cast it down into the bloody mud and tried to follow Erik. She took a step forward and fell; her bad leg had given out on her suddenly.

"No! Dammit all to hell!" She groaned grabbing hold of the leg and rocking herself over onto her back.

"Trevelyan?" Reeves asked breathing hard herself as she knocked one of her few remaining arrows onto her string, "What's wrong?"

Elena shook her head, "I'm fine!" She insisted pushing herself up onto her hands and knee. "Go on! Get to that trebuchet! Don't come back until it has fired." She picked her sword up and stood, pushing the blade into the ground. She yanked it free and started after their retreating backs.

"Elena!" She halted and turned to see Cullen running up to her, "Where's your shield?" His eyes darted around their immediate vicinity looking for it.

"I dropped it. Can't hold the damn thing anyway…" She told him, "Excuse me, but I've got a trebuchet to defend." She went to leave but he grabbed onto her shield arm stopping her.

"You've done enough. Get inside and help the villagers." He told her sternly. When she faltered he added, "That's an order, Corporal. We're overrun." He picked up a Templar's shield from the ground and thrust it into her hands, "Use it." Elena slid it onto her arm and was startled by how light it was compared to her Inquisition one. It would be much easier to use. She looked up at him but he was gone. She ran into the village and started pulling people out of the houses, shouting at them to get a move on. As she gathered her charges she also defended them. Templars fell under her sword as they moved quickly to the Chantry.

"Don't stop moving!" She told the frightened villagers, "Get into the Chantry. I'll hold them off." She ducked an incoming crystal that had been thrown by a monster several yards away from her. The villagers surged past her into the clear road leading up to the Chantry. She cursed and readied herself to fight another horror. It came up quickly, screeching wildly as it threw hit after hit, trying to stab through her with its disfigured hands. She dodged and blocked, waiting for her opening. _There!_ She slid her sword past her shield and up underneath the creatures arm. She felt it pass through bones and muscle. It gurgled as it fell backwards away from her, trying to clutch at its wound even as it hit the ground and became still.

Elena turned and looked around for more Red Templars before entering the Chantry herself. Inside it was cool and comparatively calm. Mother Giselle and her healers were fast at work bandaging wounded villagers and soldiers alike. Cullen was nowhere to be found. _He can take care of himself._ She went to Mother Giselle's side.

"How can I help?" Elena asked breathing heavily and sliding her bloodied sword back into its sheath.

Mother Giselle looked her up and down, "You can rest, my lady." Then she thrust a cup into Elena's hands, "And drink this. It will bring back some of your strength."

Elena took the drink and sat herself near the wounded. She took a gulp and almost spit right back out. The stuff was _vile_. She placed her hand over her mouth and nose, forcing herself to swallow it. She downed the whole cup in that same manner. It did make her feel a bit pluckier. She stood and went back to the Mother when the entire Chantry shook. Elena wobbled on her feet and crashed into a villager. She pushed off of him and ran to the front door and peered out. _An avalanche!?_ Her eyes widened with shock and amazement. What a move. The entire valley was buried under the shifting snow in a matter of seconds. Cheers went up among those fighting outside. Their victory was short lived it seemed. A few seconds later, they were screaming and pouring into the Chantry again, pushing her aside as they went.

Elena bounced around, finally managing to get outside of the throng of people and into an alcove. Chancellor Roderick navigated the influx of people, encouraging them to come into the chantry for safety before collapsing against the doors. Erik came in, the last person to do so, and turned to face the old chancellor as Cole caught and supported him.

"He tried to stop a Templar. The blade went deep. He is going to die." Cole informed Erik, helping the man to a seat.

Cullen jogged up from the back of the chantry. Elena hadn't even seen him come in, but her senses went on high alert as he started to speak. "Herald, our position is not good. That dragon stole back any time you might've earned us."

Cole settled the chancellor and turned around, "I saw an Archdemon. I was in the Fade, but it looked like that."

"I don't care what it _looks_ like! It's cut a path for that army. They'll kill _everyone_ in Haven." Cullen argued with Cole.

"The Elder One doesn't care about the village. He only wants the Herald." Cole replied calmly. "Nothing and no one else matters. He wants to kill you, but he'll crush them and kill them anyway. I don't like him."

"You don't _like_ —" Cullen started and then stopped himself with an exasperated sigh, "Herald, there are no tactics to make this survivable. The only thing that slowed them was the avalanche. We could turn the remaining trebuchets and trigger one last slide."

"We're overrun. To get them all we'd have to bury Haven." Erik responded with a shake of his head, "There's got to be another way."

Cullen stepped closer to Erik, "We're dying. But we can choose how. Many don't get that choice." Silence hung in the air as everyone looked at everyone else, waiting for Erik to make his decision for them.

Chancellor Roderick spoke up then, "There is another way. A path. You wouldn't know it unless you made the Summit Pilgrimage as I have. Andraste must've shown it to me. We can get people out that way. It must be how I am to be useful in this life."

"Cullen?" Erik turned to look at his commander, "Can it be done? Will it work?"

Cullen mulled it over for a few seconds, "Possibly, if he shows us the path. What of your escape?" Erik looked Cullen soberly in the eyes, "Perhaps you will surprise it."

Erik left the Chantry quickly, his companions following along behind him. Cullen was already giving out orders. Elena cast her brother one last look, feeling her stomach tighten into a hard knot. She went to help Cole carry Chancellor Roderick out of the Chantry. With their help he was able to quickly locate the over-grown path and get the Inquisition mobilized upwards. The early morning air was cold in her chest as she labored up the mountainside with the old man draped across her shoulders. Everyone behind her was eerily silent as they moved. The only sounds that could be heard were the clinking of harnesses from the pack animals and the armor some of them wore. It seemed to take forever to reach a safe distance from Haven.

Once they, did, however, Cullen called a stop. An archer fired a flaming arrow high into the sky. Elena braced herself as the arrow reached its zenith. The avalanche happened soon after. Everyone felt it in their feet as it thundered down the mountain side. The chancellor advised they move further up the mountain once the snow settled. Everyone turned to go. Elena brushed at her eyes, which were stinging from the cold wind blowing in her face, and hoisted the chancellor's arm more securely around her shoulders and headed up the mountain with Cole.

 **Author's Note: So, I've been writing up a storm for the past couple of days. I've been well-rested and inspired. I hope you've enjoyed these frequent updates as much as I have enjoyed writing them! Let me know what you think so far with a review down below. Peace and blessings -Danbamina**


	10. Elena Goes to Skyhold

**Author's Note: Ok, so this is my least favorite part of the story, but it leads into so much goodness that I powered through to get it done with. No sense waiting around for it to just write itself. That wouldn't happen and I'm _really_ excited to write the next major chapters. So enjoy this and leave me a review to let me know what you think! **

**SHOUT OUT TO MY NEW FOLLOWER: Starks Snow- THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT! You're amazing. 3**

 **Chapter 10**

The time on the mountainside after the avalanche went quickly. Elena threw herself into setting up a camp that could house everyone from Haven with the other soldiers. She kept unhappy thoughts at bay with working, or at least she tried to. The heads of the Inquisition sent out regular search parties, but after the second one came back bringing Dorian, Iron Bull, and Blackwall with them, she started to feel panic claw at her throat. She kept casting desperate glances at the place where the three adventurers had come over the hill, hoping and praying that somehow Erik had managed to escape the icy claws of death itself. He'd done it before when the explosion at the Conclave had happened. Why would this time be any different? She thought hysterically, piling firewood into her arms from a stack on the edge of the camp. She walked over to where someone else had laid down the outline for a fire pit and let them all fall into it. Elena knelt down and rearranged to wood into a neat pyramid, the trampled snow melting into the knees of her breeches. She picked up the flint and steel the fire pit maker had left behind and started to strike sparks onto the kindling. The damn thing wouldn't light. She struck sparks onto the thin bits of wood and other material time and time again with no result. She was getting frustrated. Elena felt tears start to prick her eyes and blur her vision as she wrestled with the flint and steel. Why couldn't she do this one simple thing?!

"You're doing it wrong." Dorian's voice calmly cut into her thoughts. "Let me help with that." He knelt down beside her and took the tools away from her. With a muttered word the fire sparked to life, "There, now we won't be so damn cold."

Elena nodded her head, rubbing her eyes fiercely to get them to stop this crying nonsense but to no avail. She sat there, knees going numb, crying and feeling utterly lost.

"Come now, dear, don't do that." Dorian told her, his voice thick with emotion as well, "It's just a fire." He pulled her against his side, one hand rubbing her opposite shoulder, "Certainly no reason to be upset."

Elena let him hold her, "It's just so stupid. None of this should have happened. He sealed the Breach. That was supposed to be the end of it." She complained sniffling as she gathered herself back together.

Dorian nodded, rubbing her arm, "It was. We know better now."

"What're we going to do if he… if he…" Elena couldn't say it. To say it would make it an actual possibility. She adjusted herself to look at him fully. "What'll happen?"

Dorian shrugged, "I'm afraid that's one question that I don't have an answer for." They sat in silence, leaning on each other as they watched the flames eat the wood in the pit.

XXX

Elena wandered the camp idly, checking in on her friends. Reeves and Porteur had made it back safely without hassle before Haven had evacuated. Marston was in the infirmary tent with a broken arm, but was otherwise in fine shape. Everyone offered her some form of comfort, noting that she wasn't quite herself. She felt she was holding it together remarkably well considering everything that had happened within the past twelve hours. As she was leaving the infirmary tent she heard Cassandra's voice echo down from the pass beyond them.

"Thank the Maker!"

She froze in place as there were more cries from that same direction. Desperation tightened her throat and clawed at her. She bolted through the camp, following the noise, and slammed into Cullen. He caught her and moved them both to the side as two scouts carried a stretcher past them. She wrenched herself away from him and watched as her brother was carried past her. He was in one in piece! Elena felt her whole body relax as he was carried into the infirmary tent. She took an uncertain step forwards, relief causing her to sway a little bit. Cullen came up beside her and took her hand. He brought it to her lips in a brief, polite kiss.

"He's all right." Elena told Cullen, "Thank the Maker."

Cullen looked at her from behind her own knuckles, "Thank the Maker indeed. Now the real work begins." He let their hands fall, keeping his around hers as they walked towards the middle of camp.

"Don't you ever rest?" Elena groaned, rolling her head back on her neck dramatically as they came to a halt near the main fire.

Cullen laughed slightly, "Not when there's so much that needs to be done." He looked past her to where Josephine, Cassandra, and Leiliana were gathered around a table bickering, "I've got to go speak to the war council." He paused as he passed in front of her and looked her directly in the eyes, "In the morning we need to move. We can't live in the snow forever like this. Don't you understand? We need to make a plan and we need to make it _now_. I'll speak with you more later. Right now," he sighed and placed a hand on the back of her head, "is not the time." He placed a kiss on her forehead and left to add his voice to the bickering coming from the table.

XXX

When morning came, the decision had been made. They would go to a location Solas had told Erik of. An old castle called Skyhold that sat like an eagle amongst the highest mountain peaks. Elena had gone to visit the infirmary after Cullen had left her at the fireside. Erik had been in a sour mood arguing with Mother Giselle about what to do with the Inquisition now. Mother Giselle had insisted that he rest, but Erik insisted that he join in the war council. Luckily, for both of them, the war council concluded its business with the four participating members shouting at each other before going to their own spots in camp to think.

Mother Giselle had taken the time to sing a song with the camp in the hopes of boosting morale. Elena had been greatly confused by this, but was interested to note that Cullen had a terrific singing voice. She saved that information for later excursions to taverns. Erik had looked at her with total disbelief as it happened, holding onto his bruised ribs. Neither of them were very good Andrastians despite what they told their family. There were rumors of electing an Inquisitor once they reached Skyhold and making the Inquisition a formal force to be reckoned with. The rumors led her to believe that Erik was in the best position for that title. She knew she wouldn't like her brother putting himself at more risk for death, but she also knew that he _was_ the only person in Thedas equipped to deal with the monster they had learned was called Corypheus. A name that sent the color draining from Varric's and many others' faces once Erik had uttered it.

Skyhold, as it turned out, was a much larger fortification than any of them had anticipated. The great stone walls dwarfed the mountainside they were perched on. Elena noticed several people openly staring with mouths agape as they came over the final rise bringing it into full view. She would have stopped to join them if it hadn't been for Reeves grabbing her hand as she ran past.

"It's Skyhold! Look at it, Elena!" Reeves enthused rushing forward and grabbing Porteur along the way, "Isn't it magnificent?"

Porteur tugged them to a slower pace, laughing at Reeves' exuberance, "It's only a castle, Carrina. There's plenty of them in the world."

Elena shook her head, "There's not plenty like this one, Mathias. I get the feeling that Skyhold is unique. Where else can you find a castle this massive in the mountains? Think about the effort it would have taken to build it originally."

Porteur looked up at the approaching stone walls and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "It would have been immensely difficult to bring this much cut stone up the mountainside."

" _Exactly_." Elena said as she threw her arms around her friends' necks, tugging them closer to her.

"I hope, with all this space, we get our own rooms." Marston piped up from behind them, "I know I'll be glad to be rid of Porteur's incessant morning singing."

Elena turned to face him and was struck once again with Marston's odd handsomeness. He was rugged and had his arm cast casually in a sling. His dark hair was mussed and his impossibly blue eyes pierced through his unkempt bangs at them, sparking with laughter above his brilliant smile. His hair and outline gilded by the morning sun. He reached them and slung his good arm over Reeves' shoulder.

"Marston, you must be feeling better!" Porteur told him from down the line, "What are your thoughts on our new home?"

Marston considered the structure before them, "It looks defensible enough. I don't want to spend a lot of time, here, though."

"Oh?" Reeves asked, "Why's that?"

Marston bobbed his head around, "We should be going on missions instead of lounging here doing patrols. Of course, that's all I'll be able to do for a bit while this arm heals."

"It sure will be good to get back out in the field after this mess." Porteur agreed, "Until you are healed, we are happy to wait around doing patrols with you."

Elena fell silent as her companions continued to discuss their next moves. She wasn't sure she really wanted to be going into uncharted territory after her experience in the Fallow Mire. She had much preferred her role at Haven when tragedy struck. Immediate action was better than wandering around waiting for the fight to find them and being unprepared. She liked fighting, but she didn't like exploring the country side. She also had learned to enjoy her work as a trainer during her convalescence at Haven. She hoped her role at Skyhold would play to her strengths just as much as they had in Haven.

By and by they made their way into Skyhold proper. Erik could be seen standing in the middle of a great stone staircase leading up the main keep. He was speaking with Cassandra about something as she handed him a gigantic sword with a hilt in the shape of twin dragons winding around the blade. Elena pulled her companions to a halt and motioned to her brother. They all stopped talking and fell silent as Erik turned to face them.

"Have our people been told?" Cassandra asked loudly enough for her voice to carry down to them.

Josephine piped up from the front of the crowd, "They have!"

"Will they follow?" Cassandra asked.

Cullen stepped forward and bravely addressed the people around him, "Inquisition? Will you follow?" The crowd cheered, "Will you fight?" The crowd cheered louder, "Will we triumph?" The crowd cheered even louder. Cullen turned, pulling his sword from its sheath heroically and thrusting it up at Erik and Cassandra on the stairs, "Your leader, your Herald, your Inquisitor!" Even though Elena didn't think she or the crowd could possibly cheer louder, they somehow managed to raise their voices higher together. As the crowd celebrated, Elena extricated herself and headed up the stairs by herself, wanting to congratulate her brother on his new position as Inquisitor. However, he had disappeared inside the main keep with his war council. She decided that now was not the appropriate time and instead settled herself in the courtyard. She leaned on a low stone wall and let the sunshine sink into her skin. She felt like Skyhold was the place they would create the legends of the future. She liked that feeling.

 **Author's Note: I don't know, Elena. You _might_ be forced back into the field even though you're a bit scared of it. Gotta get back up on that horse and ride girlfriend. How else am I going to put you in situations that may or may not require you to be rescued? I mean, for the most part, Elena is self-sufficient, but even the most self-sufficient person needs help every now and then. And I'm thinking about political intrigue and what all that entails and how it might affect our heroine and her companions not to mention her not-a-relationship-relationship with Cullen. They haven't DTR'd yet.**

 **I have a lot of thoughts tonight. I'm gonna sign off before I give any juicy secrets away. Peace and Blessings. -Danbamina**


	11. Elena and the Abrupt Exit

**Author's Note: I am going back to teaching soon, so updates will be coming a little less frequently again. I've really enjoyed being able to take whole days to write as much as I want with nothing else to worry about. This is a longer chapter to hopefully hold you guys over until I can get the next one written. Thank you for sticking with me through this story so far! It's a ton of fun for me to write it, and it's made even more fun by having it on here. Please leave me a review if you like it, or a follow, or a favorite... I'm not picky.**

 **Shout Outs to abellew1987 and Ferrilsblood for the favorites! I'm so happy you guys enjoy my story! Thanks for the support!**

 **If I haven't given you a shout out because I didn't start until just a few chapters ago, I am sorry. I also thank you for your reviews, favorites, and follows. You guys really make this teacher feel proud of herself.**

 **Enjoy the chapter! 3**

 **Chapter 11**

Elena rode her horse beneath the portcullis leading into Skyhold. It felt good to be back after such a long time away. She and her team had been out scouting locations for watch towers and small settlements for the many people who poured into Skyhold every day. The castle couldn't hold the number of refugees who were flocking to them. Erik, seeing her itch to get back to work, had assigned her the task after Josephine had suggested it in a war council meeting. Marston had been ordered to remain at the castle while his arm finished healing. Elena, Reeves, and Porteur had picked up a mage named Hospell for the time being. Hospell was of a jolly nature, but had the tendency to slack off whenever he possibly could. This was something that the group had a hard time coping with. She would be glad when she could have Marston back. She had left Reeves and Porteur in the nearest settlement helping the people there build their watch tower while she came back to Skyhold to report progress and gather Marston. Hospell she had sent ahead of her since she and the others really had no need for him and he was fast becoming a nuisance. Elena pulled her horse to a stop at the stables and dismounted. Master Dennett himself came and took the animal's reins from her.

"Lady Trevelyan." He said by way of greeting before leading the horse away from her.

"Master Dennett." Elena replied before she left the shade of the stable. She headed for the stairs leading the main keep, head down, trying to organize her thoughts for her report for the war council. She hadn't had to deliver one after the Fallow Mire because Erik had had to retrieve her and her team. Carefully, she mounted the stairs, each step bringing her a new thought. There was a lot to report on from her team's health to the locations of watchtowers and settlements and numbers of refugees in each one. Plus, there was the matter of requesting that Marston be allowed to leave Skyhold early to help them finish their work.

She entered the main hall and stopped, amazed at the transformation. "Sweet Maker _that's_ a hall." She breathed out as she took in the gigantic draperies in Tevinter pattern, Ferelden war dogs that lined the walls, a giant wooden throne sitting in front of massive stained glass windows worked in designs that represented the Free Marches, and Inquisition tapestries hanging from the free spaces left. Strange, golden mosaics decorated the walls closest to the main door. Tables and groups of chatting people stood in small depressions that dotted the sides of the main aisle's red carpet. She spun slowly as she walked down towards the throne, taking it all in.

She reached the door her last correspondence with her brother told her would have the war room behind it and entered a small stone entry way with another wooden door in front of her. She opened that one as well and saw Josephine sitting at a large desk in a room lit with a hearth fire. Bookshelves lined one wall and a seating area was laid out on a rug.

"Ah. Lady Trevelyan. I take it you are here to meet with us about the progress of our refugee housing?" Josephine asked looking up from her work and giving Elena a courteous nod.

Elena walked closer to the older woman, "I am. I was told the war room was in here, but this looks like your office."

Josephine laughed a little, "Oh, yes. I see how that would be confusing." She stood and moved from behind her desk, bringing her note-taking board with her, "If you'll follow me, it's just this way." She headed to another door opposite the one that Elena had just entered. They walked through to a plain stone hallway and up a small set of stairs. At the other end of the hallway, Elena saw two great wooden doors with a smaller, more regular-sized one set into one of the two. Josephine went through that door. Elena ducked into the room and once again had to stop and admire her surroundings.

The war room was octagonal with tall, narrow stained glass windows on the half of the room facing away from the door. They were open to let the gathered war council members view the surrounding mountain landscape. Along one wall stood a couple of bookshelves overflowing with books and scrolls and in the middle of the room stood a rough-hewn wooden table with a map of Thedas laid out on it. The map contained pieces showing the Inquisition's efforts to expand and make itself a force to be reckoned with. She walked up to the table and scanned the map, interested to see how far the Inquisition's influence reached.

"Josephine, this is… impressive." Elena whispered, awe struck, picking up a piece surmounted by a fist clenching a spiked semi-circle. "All the way to Andoral's Reach?" She looked up at Josephine, obviously astonished.

Josephine nodded her head, "Yes, we have friends in many places now."

She heard the door open followed quickly by a jubilant shout, "Elena!" She was quickly lifted from her feet in a vice-like hug that pinned her arms to her side, "I've missed you!"

" _Oof!"_ Elena said as the air was forced from her lungs, "Erik! That hurt!" She complained as she turned to face her brother. "Surely you don't miss me all _that_ much when I'm away."

Erik gave her a wounded look, placing a hand dramatically over his heart, "Elena… _that_ hurts. You don't believe that your dear, older brother would miss you?"

Elena rolled her eyes and ignored his dramatics, "Where is everyone else?" She asked, leaning against the table with her arms crossed.

Erik shrugged and joined her, "On their way, I assume. Why? Looking forward to seeing someone special?"

Elena felt her face go red, "I'm sure I don't know what you mean." She hedged, turning around and examining the map again, "This was my mission?" She asked pointing to a pick with a bell on top of it near Skyhold.

"Yes." Erik told her, "And you do know what I mean. You two haven't spent any time together since Haven."

"Something, I'm sure the Inquisitor had _nothing_ to do with." Elena grumbled under her breath petulantly.

"Ah, here are the others." Josephine cut in before Erik could respond to Elena's accusation.

Leliana walked into the room with her usual self-assured grace and dignity. "Inquisitor, Lady Trevelyan, nice to see you. Josie, do you have any word from my agents in Nevarra?" Josephine and Leliana stepped together to read over a document that Josephine pulled from the stack on her board.

"Inquisitor, my lady, how good of you to come report to us in person." Cassandra acknowledged Elena as she came to a halt next to the younger woman, "Though, a note by carrier raven would have sufficed."

Elena looked Cassandra in the eyes and put her hands in the air innocently, "I was asked here by the Inquisitor personally?"

"Of course you were." Cassandra cut her eyes to Erik who was busy throwing a small pyramid into the air and catching it repeatedly. "It's not like he has more important things to do."

"Who?" Erik caught the pyramid and pointed to himself, "Me?" He flashed Cassandra a wide, winning grin.

Meanwhile, Cullen had entered. Elena made a concentrated effort not to stare at him; however, she couldn't help but notice that he looked as dashing as ever in his armor and cowl. She cleared her throat as he spoke to them, "Inquisitor…" His eyes slid over to hers where they locked and held. She had to look away feeling strangely embarrassed, "My lady Trevelyan. I'm glad to see you well."

"Commander…" Elena gulped out feeling like a school-girl. "How goes the war?"

Cullen frowned slightly, "There's really not much a _war_ in the first place. We're working on preparations for the peace talks at Halamshiral. It's not as dangerous as a war, but it requires no less care and preparation." He sighed and leaned his fingertips on the table, his eyes searching it for something.

"Lane." Erik interrupted her gawking, "Your report?"

Elena stepped back from the table and assumed her best posture, clasping her hands behind her back. She looked directly at Erik, blotting everyone else from her mind, "Of course. I've been in the field with the refugees for several weeks now." She shifted and pulled a folded sheaf of paper from her belt pouch, "We have begun work on watch towers and settlements which I've marked on this map." Erik reached out to her and took the map, handing it off to Cullen quickly, "A few watch towers are nearing completion. I've left Porteur and Reeves supervising those. Hospell I sent back here last week when he proved to be more of a hindrance than a help. The settlements are thriving. The refugees have built more permanent structures with the supplies you sent them and are following the chore rotations with no issues. The people feel safe so they are happy. Some of the soldiers have begun teaching them how to handle weapons and hunt for themselves. There's very little danger to them other than wolves and the occasional bear or group of bandits this close to Skyhold. I expect with the completion of the watch towers and regular patrols getting set up even those dangers will cease to be a problem." She stopped speaking and waited for their response.

"Do you have any requests that we aren't already aware of?" Erik asked.

"Just one." She took a breath, "I know that Marston's arm has only recently healed, but we need him out there with us."

"We?" Erik said raising an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"Reeves, Porteur, and myself need him out there with us."

"I thought you didn't like him?" Cullen blurted.

Elena turned her head slowly to look at him and addressed him with a tight voice, "Yes, sir. He's been part of our team. He's been part of the team since we all enlisted. My personal feelings aside… we work well together for all he is a hot-headed half-wit from time-to-time."

Erik blinked at her, "You _want_ a hot-head on your team?" Elena nodded in a way that she hoped conveyed confidence at him. Erik rubbed his neck and looked sidelong at Cullen, "I don't know. I'll have to discuss it with the healers, the commander, and Marston before I can answer that request either way."

Elena nodded, "That sounds reasonable to me, Erik."

"I can give my answer now, Inquisitor." Cullen started, "Lady Trevelyan is right. Marston has been part of her team since she went to the Fallow Mire. He may be a hot-head and a half-wit occasionally when he's had too much to drink, but from what I've observed he is a competent and courageous fighter. If he is fully healed, allow him to go."

Erik nodded and stuck a knuckle in his mouth, considering, "This bears more thought, but thank you, Commander." He looked at Elena, "I will have my decision tomorrow morning before you return to the settlements to supervise the finishing of the construction of the watch towers."

"Very well." Elena said, relaxing her posture, "Do you need me for anything else?"

Erik shook his head motioning at the door dismissively, "You are free to go. We still have matters to attend to. I'll find you later to catch up more fully." He turned away from her and bent over the table, "Leliana, have you heard anything on the Hightown matter?"

As Leliana replied, Elena cast one a last look at Cullen. He was watching her. She smiled and waved good bye to him. He returned the smile and raised one hand from his crossed forearms in a small wave. She turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. _That wasn't so bad._ She thought as she headed back the way she had come. _Tomorrow morning? Erik must not want me to stick around Cullen too long._ She laughed quietly to herself. _What a worry wart._

XXX

Elena went to her quarters and got out of her armor. She put on simpler clothes: a close-fitting white shirt with loose sleeves that bunched tightly around her wrists and laced half-way down the front, paired with fawn breeches, and her usual knee-high black boots minus her metal greaves. She brushed her hair out and re-braided it behind her ears. Then, Elena made her way to the new tavern that had been set up inside Skyhold's walls, The Herald's Rest, for some much-needed relaxation. Marston had heard that she was about and had come to join her. She told him about her meeting with the war council. He was excited to get back out into the field, even if it was just to help build watch towers and teach refugees basic fighting skills. He hadn't stayed long due to his patrol duty starting, but he promised to try his best to convince Erik to let him leave the following day.

Elena wandered to the bar, slapping a couple of coins and her mug down on the counter in front of the new bar keeper. "Another ale, please." The dwarf grunted and poured out a measure into her empty mug as she took a seat next to Iron Bull. "Bull!" Elena greeted him, "Enjoying a rest while my brother messes with politics?"

Iron Bull looked up from his tankard, "Hey! It's the mini boss!" He slurred slightly at her, "Where have you been? Normally I see you following the Commander around like a puppy." He laughed heartily, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

Elena hid her face in her own drink guiltily, "Not _always_."

Iron Bull plunked his tankard down, "I know. I know. As far as couples go you two are pretty discreet."

"We're not a couple!" She blurted out, slamming her fist onto the counter defiantly.

"Woah!" Iron Bull laughed pretending to scoot his stool away from her, "I didn't realize you felt so strongly."

Elena pinched the bridge of her nose, "Don't lie. You're Ben-Hassrath. You probably knew what was going on with us before we did." She sighed and took a gulp.

"I probably did." They settled into companionable silence, each sipping their own drinks. Elena liked Iron Bull, but found she rarely had much to say to the Qunari spy. She knew he was one of Erik's preferred party members because usually whenever Erik was gone, so was the Bull.

Elena finished her ale and slid the mug across the counter to the bar keeper, "I'd like a bottle of wine, please." She said as she dug more coins from her belt pouch and held them out. The dwarf exchanged the coins for an opened bottle silently. Elena patted Iron Bull on the shoulder and left the tavern. Once outside, the cool night air settled on her pleasantly. The Herald's Rest had been warm. Liking the feel of the night, she looked around and spotted some stairs leading to the battlements. She walked up them and wandered along the circuit, heading towards the stables, sipping her wine as she went. The soldiers on patrol greeted her quietly when they walked by, but other than that, the only sounds she heard were her footsteps and the wind whistling past the merlons. She went through a couple of deserted towers, taking in their broken ceilings and walls as she did. _Skyhold has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go._ She mused slinging back the rest of her wine as she reached yet another tower. She weighed the empty bottle in her hands, wondering what to do with it. Deciding to carry it with her, she entered the tower.

She was surprised to find it well-lit and furnished like an office. On the desk lay a map with battle plans and supply movements tacked to it with little pins. Several sheafs of loose paper were scattered across it, held in by a barrier of opened books, candle stubs, and writing materials. She moved behind the desk and picked up one of the loose pieces of papers, examining it absent-mindedly. It was a letter to… _Cullen!?_ She stopped reading and looked around, _Where is he?_ She spied a ladder across from her and let the paper fall to the desk. She set her wine bottle down as well and went to it.

Taking a deep, steadying breath she looked up the ladder. It was so tall. "Cullen?" She called hesitantly up it, "Are you up there?" She giggled at herself and grasped hold of one of the rungs, pulling herself onto the ladder, "It's me… Elena… I'm coming up." She climbed one step, "Don't freak out or anything and knock me off." She couldn't help but giggle again, "That wouldn't be very fun." No reply came, so she kept climbing, going as quickly as she could with the world slowly spinning around her like it was. When she reached the top she was greeted with an empty bed on a wooden platform. The bed had been neatly made. Its red cover pulled up next to creamy white pillows that looked so fluffy and soft. Elena went over and picked one up, hugging it to herself as she sat cross-legged in the middle of the spacious bed. She looked up at the sky, which was visible through a large hole in the ceiling. _This is nice, but what if it rains?_ She wondered as she laid flat on her back and shoved the pillow under her head.

Elena was almost asleep when she heard one of the doors below her open and close. She heard the clank of armor and a masculine sigh. She sat up and carefully got off of the bed. She laid on her belly and edged to the side of the platform. She curled her fingers over the wood and pulled her eyes over the edge to peek down at who had entered. It was Cullen. He was taking off his armor. Elena watched in fascination as the man managed his bracers and greaves. Next went his breastplate and cowl, which when released from the breast plate turned into his cloak. _I knew it_. She thought as he set the cloak aside. His boots and stockings came off next. Now all he was wearing was his undershirt and breeches. He stretched, scratched his stomach and yawned audibly.

 _Oh. Oh my._ Elena realized she should do something before he got much farther and backed away from the edge. She took off her own shoes and stockings, setting them neatly by the foot of his bed before going to the ladder. She slid down it as silently as she could, a trick Reeves had taught her one time in a barn when they had been hiding from Porteur for fun. She slowed herself to a stop a couple of rungs from the bottom. _This was much harder when I was sober._ _I'm doing so good._ Elena complimented herself as she stepped lightly from the ladder onto the stone floor. Cullen had his back to her and was reading something as he ran his hand through his hair over and over, pacing.

Elena snuck over to him and stood a foot behind him, holding in excited giggles with extreme difficulty. She reached out and covered his eyes playfully. Cullen cursed and reacted so fast that Elena couldn't quite tell what had happened, but she ended up leaning backwards on her elbows on his desk with his hand firmly grasping her throat. He glared down at her, pure anger in his amber eyes.

"C-Cullen?" She stammered out, swallowing nervously.

Recognizing her he released her and stood back, his face going beet red, "E-E-Elena! I-I-I didn't realize it was you. I'm sorry." He spluttered out stumbling into his dresser and sending his armor crashing to the floor, "Oh sweet Maker!" He lamented whipping around to face the new noise. Elena sat up, running a hand along her throat. She started to laugh at him. He glared at her viciously, "How did—where did—how long have you been in here?"

Elena couldn't stop laughing, but still her best to answer him between outbursts, "I was… haha… exploring… hahaha… and I… and I found this tower…" She had to stop altogether and take several large breaths before trying again, "I thought you were up there," She pointed to the loft, "So I climbed the ladder."

"You c-climbed—I just got here. How long have you been here?"

Elena shrugged spreading her arms out to him while pressing her lips together to suppress her mirth, "Long enough to see you take off your shoes?"

Cullen stared at her horrified, "You watched me undress?"

Elena giggled self-consciously, "Well not intentionally at first. I did come down before I saw more than your bare feet." She pointed at his toes and smiled, "You have nice feet."

He glanced down at his feet and then back up at her, "Thank you, but Elena, this isn't very lady-like of you."

Elena grinned broadly at him, "Since when have I been 'lady-like?'" She pushed away from the desk and walked up close to him, dragging a finger down from the hollow at the base of his neck to somewhere around his navel, "Besides, I didn't see anything _important._ " She winked at him flirtatiously, tilting her face up to him in what she felt was an inviting manner.

He tried to back away from her but was stopped by the dresser again, "What's gotten into you?"

She bounced her head from side to side, "Nothing." She pressed herself against him, her hands going up and locking behind his neck, "I just like you." She stood on her toes and nuzzled against his neck, placing light kisses wherever she could find bare skin. She pulled away and looked at him. "Didn't you miss me?"

He reached up and gripped her wrists, a pained expression on his face, "Of course, I did… you're just not yourself tonight."

Elena took her hands away and moved to the bottom of the ladder, "I see, well, I'll just get my shoes and… get out of your way." She started to climb.

She heard Cullen pad over to stand at the bottom of the ladder, "Elena. Come down."

She shook her head, focusing her gaze upwards, "No!"

"Must you be stubborn?"

"Yes!"

"Please, come down. You're going to fall."

"Cullen! I'm not going to fa—"Elena looked over her shoulder at him sassily, still climbing, the ground yawed away from her and she felt dizzy. She missed her next grip and fell backwards. She landed in his arms, the force of her fall sending him to the ground beneath her. They sat on the floor, breathing heavily. "I'm sorry." She whispered refusing to look at him. "You were right."

Cullen started laughing and hugged her close to him. "I'm _what_ now?"

"Right." Elena squeaked out as she was smushed sideways against his chest. He released her and she scrambled away to sit in front of him. "I'm sorry."

Cullen reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on his cheek. His eyes softened from amber to liquid honey. Elena leaned her face into his warm hand and smiled dreamily at him. "I'm just glad you're all right." He told her his voice going rumbly and deep. Elena felt her body warm up at this sound. She scooted closer to him as he pulled her face to his. Their lips met and all the mishaps and awkward fumblings of earlier were forgotten. Elena felt like she had been made to be kissed by him. She deepened the kiss, pressing herself against him, her arms going around his middle. He responded in kind, one hand sitting warmly on her hip, the other resting against the back of her neck. She pulled away for a breath of air and he let out a small groan of frustration. As they continued kissing, Elena felt him pull her shirt hem up over her hip so he could rest his hand on her bare skin. She followed suit and let her hand rest on the hard muscles of his stomach.

"Sweet Maker…" He breathed out against her throat as he broke away for air. She hadn't noticed, but both of his hands were touching her bare skin. One was inbetween her shoulder blades, the other gripped her hip lightly still. "You are a dangerous person."

Elena giggled, extricating her own hands from his bare body, "Where… where did… Sweet Maker indeed." She let the air out of her lungs in on big rush when she noticed that she had somehow managed to undo all of the lacings on his shirt front to expose his entire torso. He had leaned back slightly so she could see most of him.

"Elena?" He asked, taking his hands off of her and sitting up a little straighter, scooting himself a little farther away.

His open shirt fell to either side of his body artfully. Elena was transfixed. She had never seen a man shirtless before. Cullen's body was as close to flawless as she could imagine a man could be. His muscles were well-defined and large. He had a slight smattering of dark brown chest hair that trailed down past his navel and into his breeches. He had a large scar in the shape of an 'x' over the right side of his chest the longest arch of which crossed his ribs. Interspersed on the shortest arch of the 'x' had another, smaller 'x' near the bottom of his sternum. She reached out and touched the large scar, it was raised and pinker than the rest of him. It felt smooth and warm beneath her touch.

"You told me you had other scars." She stated softly, tracing the X as it went from just below his collar bones down and across his body. "Ones that were private."

Cullen grasped her hand, stopping her fingers, "Don't…" He breathed out. His face had taken on a strangely desperate expression. He let go of her hand and started to lace his shirt up again.

Elena felt like he had slapped her, "What?"

"I need to... I need to go check on the patrols." He told her in a harsh, ragged voice, standing as he tied the last tie. He shrugged his cloak on and struggled into his boots.

"Why do you need to check on them? I thought—"

"I just do!" He snapped at her, "You can stay or not. It doesn't matter." He slung open the door behind the ladder; revealing the main keep across a bridge from them and was gone. Elena watched the door close on his running form.

 _Is he literally running away from me?_ She thought as she stood and straightened her clothes. She followed him through the door, completely forgetting about her boots at the foot of his bed in the loft above her. The only door that she could find on the other side of the bridge led to Solas in the rotunda.

"Did Cullen just come through here?" She asked the elf.

Solas looked at her with unsettlingly knowledgeable eyes, "He did, though I feel he would not want me telling you where he went."

Elena groaned and rolled her eyes, "If he comes _back_ through can you tell him I'd like to speak to him?"

Solas turned away from her, "If he speaks to me I will."

"Thanks." She muttered and looked around herself. Solas had been busy. He had painted a mural of Erik's accomplishments all around them, leaving space for future ones as well. "This is amazing. You're very talented, Solas."

Solas looked over at her briefly, "Thank you."

Elena nodded and noticed a set of stairs winding up and away from the floor, "Did he go up those steps?" Solas remained silent long enough that Elena decided she'd go find out herself. Up the stairs she found a sleeping Dorian, a collection of other mages, and Leliana's rookery. She went back down the stairs and out through the door she had not originally come through. This door led to the great hall. Deciding to give up, Elena returned to her room. She got out of the clothes she had been wearing and slipped into a long, shapeless shift. She climbed into bed and lay still, hoping sleep would find her.

 **Author's Note: I don't know if you can figure out these crazy mood swings, but Elena spends too much time being the boss lately. She's gotta let loose when she can. Especially since she has this guy who likes her but won't DTR with her for _whatever_ reason! She's feeling very confused and frustrated at him. I hope he decides that a good bye is a good idea because I don't know if she'll forgive him if he doesn't show up before she leaves in the morning. **

**Anyway, thanks so much for reading! Thanks in advance for any favorites, follows, or reviews! I love you guys, Happy New Year, and peace and blessings. -Danbamina**


	12. Elena Is Frustrated

**Author's Note: I am back! We are at 1000 views! I can't believe it! I don't think I've ever had a story reach 1000 views before! I feel so proud and happy that you guys love reading this story as much as I love writing it! Thank you, thank you, thank you,** **thank you, thank you,** **thank you, thank you!**

 **Shout out to my new follower, Meeli233! Thank you for your support! I truly appreciate it! Welcome to the club! :)**

 **Chapter 12**

Elena hoisted her pack onto her shoulder and looked down at her bare feet. She wiggled her toes against the stone, frowning. It had been stupid to not retrieve her shoes from Cullen's loft the previous night. She hadn't slept at all so as soon as the gray light of the pre-dawn sun peeked through her window she had readied herself for her journey. She looked at her face in the mirror above her dresser and pulled at her braid, considering how wan and pale she looked after her restless night. _Nothing for it now_ … She thought as she stepped away and out of her room.

She made her way quickly through the great hall and slipped into Solas's rotunda. The elf was, thankfully, nowhere to be seen. Elena wasn't quite sure if she wanted people to see her on this particular errand. She exited the rotunda by way of the second door and crossed over the bridge. The sun was just starting to peek over the surrounding mountains, casting Skyhold's grounds in shadows and the tops of its building in brilliant yellow light. _Gotta hurry_.

She entered Cullen's tower as silently as she could manage and placed her pack on the ground beside the door closest to the stables. She had observed on her way over that there was a staircase leading directly from his tower to the stables, perfect for a speedy and silent get-away. Elena tip-toed to the ladder and began to climb, her toes curling around the wooden rungs comfortably. She got to the top quickly and spotted her shoes where she had left them. She eased herself from the ladder to the platform and crawled over to them. Once, they were on her feet she stood and moved to go down the ladder.

"Elena?" Cullen's voice floated over to her, followed shortly by a yawn.

Elena froze and stiffly turned her head to see him sitting up, stretching. She felt her heart tug as she registered fully what she was seeing. Cullen had his blanket pushed down around his waist revealing his bare chest. He leaned casually back on one hand with his head tilted to one side a slight smirk twitched at the right corner of his mouth. Elena gulped.

"What're you doing here so early?" He asked in a voice still thick with sleep while he pushed his other hand through his hair. "This is hardly proper."

Elena faced the other direction, "I was just getting my shoes." She blurted out and slid down the ladder as fast as she could. She scooped up her belongings and had one foot out of the door when she heard the distinctive whoosh of someone sliding down a ladder followed immediately by a soft grunt. With her whole body out of the door now, she felt his hand brush her shoulder and spun around to face him. "What?" She snapped.

Cullen stepped back a little ways, obviously surprised at her reaction, "D-Don't you…" He fumbled for words for a moment before finishing his question, "want to say good bye?"

Elena stood up straighter, crossing her arms over her chest and resting her weight on one leg, "Not really. To be honest, Cullen, you really treated me poorly last night and I'm not happy about it."

"Sometimes, I—I just get—Look. You are still the Inquisitor's kin. What people might think…"

Elena felt her eyebrows rise so high on her forehead she was thought they might have disappeared into her hair, "You really _care_ about what other people might think?"

He looked away from her, dragging a hand down his face, "That sounded better in my head."

"Look, Cullen, let me make it easier for you. Whatever," she gestured between them vaguely, " _this_ is, I like it. I like _you_. What I _don't_ like is being left in the middle of things like that."

Cullen took large breath and straightened himself up, puffing out his chest a little bit, "I know. There are things you don't know about me that I would rather remain private." He took a step towards her, "Occasionally those things make me think and act differently than I would like to. I wasn't sure you'd understand, so I left."

"I can understand that. We all have our demons to fight. I just wish you would have told me sooner." Elena took his hand in hers and smiled at him, "Are you ever going to tell me what those things are?"

He raised her hand to his lips and placed a kiss on it, "One day, I promise, just not today."

Elena nodded and took her hand away, "I've got to go."

"I know." Cullen looked away from her, "When will you be back?"

She started edging away from him, "Maker knows. Whenever I'm needed back, I guess. Cassandra was right; most of the information Skyhold needs can be delivered by a raven." Cullen didn't respond, just nodded his head and bit his lip, clearly mulling something over. She descended the stairs and went to the stables to ready the horses for the short trip.

Elena pulled her horse to a stop. Marston did the same next to her. He looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face. She shook her head and cast one last glance back at Skyhold. Cullen hadn't come down to say a formal goodbye, and she wouldn't be afraid to admit that that had stung her pride a little. However, he most-likely considered their time arguing as their goodbye and so didn't feel obligated… or he might have gotten busy. The Inquisition's armed forces didn't run themselves. She sighed and turned back forward, kicking her horse into an easy trot and pulled away from the castle. It was back to work for her. As they rode, Marston decided to hold a conversation with her. Elena didn't much feel like conversing, but managed to maintain his flow of inane chatter with simple responses.

"So, did you get to see the Commander while you were in Skyhold?" Marston asked casually, though, when Elena jerked her head over to look at him, she could see a much more serious look on his face.

Elena looked away and groaned, "Why do you care? I thought you hated it that I enjoy his company?"

Marston bobbed his head around, "Sure, maybe. I just want to make sure you're taking care of yourself."

"Not this again. I get it. Most people around here seem to know something about Cullen that I don't. Cullen and I spoke about it today, and he'll tell me when he's ready to. In the meantime, please, shut up about it. It's getting old." She grumbled to herself for a couple of minutes about how people like Marston were insufferably nosy and how they wouldn't like it if she took such an interest in their love lives. _Not that I have much of one…_.

Elena ducked into her tent. She was exhausted. Her shoulder injury had started to ache again after being abused for the past two weeks by all of the watchtower building and refugee training she had been doing. She rolled her shoulder around and groaned as the tightened muscles pulled on one another and released themselves. She slung her shield onto her bed and unbuckled her sword belt. The daggers she had hidden about her body came off next. Elena had enjoyed the work. It had served as a good distraction from her personal struggles. Now, it was dark, and it was time to rest. Her mind wandered back to that last night in Skyhold... Why? Why had that happened? It wasn't the first time it had happened, either. Why couldn't she stop thinking about it?

He had made it clear when he didn't come down to say farewell that they were done. It had been a simple message. It had been easy to accept. Though, there was still that one lingering thought in the back of her mind... _What if...?_ A million reasons that would have stopped him from being able to come down and see her off raced through her mind. She knew he was a busy man, certainly she wasn't so particular as to always need the men she cared for to say good bye to her. Dorian hadn't come and she wasn't obsessing over him. Then, again, Dorian wasn't someone she cared romantically for. She just liked the mage and was happy he made her brother happy. No... This was different. To obsess over someone this much was something entirely different. She sat on her bed and put her face in her hands, propping herself up with her elbows on her knees. The single candle she used to light her tent spluttered and went out as her tent flap opened and someone entered, interrupting her thoughts.

She looked up to see who had entered but couldn't in the darkness. She fumbled for the candle and her tinder box. She struck a spark quickly and watched the flame grow. Then, she turned around and dropped the candle. It _thunked_ to the floor and somehow kept burning. Her visitor bent and picked it up, holding it out to her with a gentle smile. His amber eyes were somber and a little wary in the flickering light. Elena reached out and took it from him wordlessly. They stood, staring at each other, waiting to see who would speak first. Elena was determined that it wouldn't be her.

When it became apparent that neither of them would speak, Elena set her candle back where it had come from and tried to brush past him into the night. If he got to leave at a pivotal moment, then so did she! As she brushed by him, though, he laid his hand on her arm. It was warm, strong, and familiar. She stopped moving and looked down at his hand resting on her upper arm. He didn't hold on to her. It was a gentle request for her to stay inside with her. She looked back up at him one eyebrow raised, daring him to do something to make her stay. He held her gaze steadily. She looked away, puffing out a breath as she did so, and brushed his hand off of her arm. Then, she stepped outside. She heard the tent flap rustle behind her and his feet crunch on the ground as he followed her.

She went into the woods, walking carefully. The moon was full enough to light the way, but it was frequently obscured by clouds as they swept along in the upper reaches of the atmosphere. As she walked, searching for the right place for them to confront each other, she could hear him patiently following behind her. The undergrowth eventually gave way to a clear space by a gently flowing mountain stream. It was a simple, pure place. It would do. She turned to face him, hands on her hips, and waited.

He stopped walking several feet away from her and looked at her plainly. "You know why I'm here, don't you?"

Elena shook her head. She honestly didn't know why he was there. All she knew was that looking at him in the shifting moonlight after so long without seeing him made her feel weak in the knees, short of breath, and hot all over.

He reached up with a hand and rubbed his neck, pulling it down and tilting his head back towards the sky, "Maker's breath... This is much more difficult than I thought it would be." He looked at her pitifully, a nervous smile spreading across his face.

Elena folded her arms across her chest and settled her weight onto one leg. "Get on with it, Cullen." She was surprised to find her voice was icy cool despite the heat inside of her.

Cullen blinked at her and stepped closer, "Elena. I know I hurt you when I last saw you. Solas told me you came searching for me. I must admit I am thankful that he did not tell you where I had gone. I was not in my right mind." He stopped talking for a minute. He twisted his hands together nervously and when he finally spoke it was in a low, desperate voice. "I have been trying to break my Lyrium addiction. When I came to the Inquisition I stopped taking it. I didn't want to be the man I was as a Templar. I am no longer a Templar." He paused, searching her face, "I was struggling with it when you made your presence known. It's why I reacted the way I did. Then, we—and I didn't want us to—not while I was feeling that way. That's not how I want to remember things. When you left, my struggle became worse. I tried to convince Cassandra to tell your brother to have me step down from my position as Commander." He watched her expectant face for a brief second, "He wouldn't allow it." He came closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes, "I am doing far better now than I had ever dared hope for."

"That's good to know." Elena stated simply, not disliking the weight of his hands, "What does this have to do with me?"

He swallowed nervously, "I was hoping you would accept one last apology from me and we could resume our... How does your brother put it? Fraternization?" He stepped closer to her and his hands slid to lie on either side of her neck, his thumbs resting against her jaw.

Elena shifted her eyes away from his face, "Cullen..." She breathed, her voice catching in her throat, "I can't. You're too...much." She said clearing her throat. The truth was she had been dying inside to hear him say those exact words. To let her inside the barriers he'd thrown up around himself. Ever since she had seen him standing in her tent she had been standing on a knife's edge waiting.

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers; Elena looked up at him sheepishly, "I can tell you're lying." He rumbled and suddenly, standing there in the moonlight with the sound of the stream flowing past them and the sigh of the wind in the trees and brush, Elena found herself being kissed. The world stilled, thought disappeared, and all that was left was the feel of his mouth on hers. When he pulled away a few moments later, Elena wished it wouldn't have ended. She looked up into his soft, brown eyes that reflected the moonlight back at her and couldn't help but smile.

"I should be getting back." Elena said stepping away from him lest they start kissing again and things got out of hand, "Reeves will be looking for me."

Cullen nodded and held out a hand to her, "All right, let's not keep her waiting." Elena took his outstretched hand and they began their journey back. They had walked quite a bit farther than she had thought. Then again, she had been testing his resolve when they walked out here, so she was somewhat pleased to see a more concrete measurement of his commitment to resolving whatever problems they had. "When will you be returning to Skyhold?" Cullen inquired presently.

Elena shrugged her shoulders, "Soon enough. We're just about done out here. I heard rumors floating around that next we're being sent to Emprise du Lion. Apparently, there's a lot of Red Templar activity around there." Cullen didn't say anything to that so Elena continued, "When will you go back to Skyhold?"

"When we get back to camp I'll have to leave."

"What! You can't just show up and then leave immediately! That's not fair."

Cullen nodded, "It's not, but it's necessary." He took a breath and continued, trying to reason with her, "We're at war Elena. It's an unusual war, but it is war nonetheless. I can't just go gallivanting off for a stint in the woods with the peace talks at Halamshiral growing closer every day."

Elena stayed silent rolling that information around in her head for a little bit. "I still wish you could stay longer…." By this time, they had reached the edge of camp and stood just outside, obscured by the brush around them from the eyes of those gathered around the cook fire.

Cullen caught her chin in his hand tilted her face to his, "I do, too." He bent and kissed her gently, "It's just not meant to be this time." The words were supposed to be kind and comforting but they felt a bit like a punishment to Elena. She searched his face, trying to memorize every detail of him in this moment. The slight melancholy in the depths of his eyes, the gentle half-smile that pulled up the right corner of his mouth, and the way the moonlight made his blonde hair turn almost silver. He kissed her again, this time a little longer, and then held her in a hug for a few moments before walking away in the direction of the settlement's corrals. Elena watched him go until he was out of sight.

 **Author's Note:** **This chapter was a BEAST to write. I will be honest. I enjoyed writing this, like I always do, but I am so ready to move on to Halamshiral. Thank goodness, that's next chapter. And I have some dangerous times ahead planned for our dear, dear couple. I ALMOST ALMOST ALMOST ALMOST ALMOST had something be said that would be like 'EEEEEEEEEEE!' But then I thought, "Nope. Not yet. Doesn't feeeeel right." So, there's that coming up soon as well. Halamshiral is my least favorite part of the game, so I'm not sure what I'm going to have our heroine do. Should she go and brave the Game? Should she not go and then show up unexpectedly after all the drama is done? If you've got any ideas or suggestions for that mess of a place, please, please, please, please, help a girl out and let me know. :)**

 **As always, if you loved what you read, please leave me a review, follow, or favorite. Love you guys. Peace and blessings. -Danbamina**


	13. Elena and the Indecent Suggestion

**Author's Note: WOW! It has been a HOT minute. I am sorry. Here is Chapter 13. Enjoy!**

 **Shout Out to my new follower: cookiepandaluv and my new favorite from wolfgal1211. Thank you so much for the love!  
**

 **Also, thank you to all my faithful readers. I love you and I thank you for your continued support!**

 **Chapter 13**

Elena dropped her hammer and stood back looking down at her handiwork. The roofing tiles probably had a few more nails than necessary, but they were definitely secure. Satisfied she dusted her hands off and picked up the hammer. She slid down the ladder and walked backwards away from the now-finished watchtower. It loomed above her sturdily as the first round of watchers entered. The blue sky behind it was bright and clear causing her to feel like nothing wrong could possibly happen as long as this quaint little tower stood staunchly against the elements. She, of course, knew this was false hope, but it made her happy to enjoy the feeling for a few brief moments.

She turned and looked around her at the waiting refugees and soldiers. "We are officially finished! Porteur!"

Porteur stepped forward from the crowd and saluted her. "Yes, Captain!?"

"Gather Reeves and Marston." She told him, bouncing on her toes excitedly, "We've got reports to deliver in Skyhold." She handed her tools off to a builder and walked with Porteur for a few steps, "And… try to keep it quiet? We don't want to cause unrest."

Porteur nodded and trotted off in the direction of the other watchtower where Reeves and Marston were working with the refugees to get it finished as well. Elena jogged off down the trail to the corrals. The horses milled about lazily cropping grass. Only a few picked up their heads as she entered the enclosure. One of the hostlers came over asking about what she wanted. Elena explained what she wanted quickly and the hostler got to work helping her. The time flew past as she and the hostler saddled and bridled four horses and got them ready for the journey back. If they rode at a steady pace they would be able to make it back to Skyhold before the night watch lowered the main gate. True to their training Marston, Reeves, and Porteur arrived swiftly and with everything neatly packed. They exchanged pleasantries, secured their belongings on their saddles, and mounted their horses, shouting their thanks to the hostler as they did so. With a nod and a cluck they all four cantered from the corrals and up the road to Skyhold.

The portcullis began to rattle downwards as Elena and her team galloped onto the stone bridge between Skyhold and the main tower. The sun had just dipped below the mountain peaks as they clattered across the bridge. Porteur and Marston let out whoops of delight which echoed on their stony surroundings. A few people had to leap out of the boisterous men's way before they were able to slow their mounts to a more sedated trot. Their horses shook their heads, harnesses jangling merrily, their breath fogging in the rapidly cooling mountain air. Elena let her reins fall and rubbed her arms, shivering slightly. It certainly was good to be back in Skyhold where she could have a hearth in her bed chamber. Braziers were nice enough, but a hearth was her preferred choice. She cast a glance back at the gate as it clanged into place behind them effectively closing them into the stony confines of Skyhold itself. They passed through the second gate as it ground to a halt half-way closed. It would be lowered the rest of the way once the main bridge was cleared of travelers, but there was no hurry for that to happen as the night market that set up there was just getting started.

They quickly settled their horses in at the stables and stood awkwardly around adjusting their belongings on their shoulders and backs. Reeves invited everyone to the Herald's Rest for dinner and a game of Wicked Grace with dinner being on her. Once that was settled they all parted ways and went to their respective domiciles. Elena slowly climbed the stairs to her room, the weight of her belongings banged against her knees and lower back as she took each step. It wasn't very far, but by the end of her trek she was glad to set everything down and flop onto her bed. She pulled a pillow against her chest and looked up at the plain stone ceiling where the torch light from the night watch passed by in waves as the patrols walked past in regular intervals. It was relaxing and soon she found herself waking from a much-needed nap feeling very rested. Remembering she had agreed to meet Reeves and the others at the Rest she leaped from bed and dressed for a night of casual frivolity before darting through the door towards the main hall, tucking the front half of her shirt into the waist band of her breeches as she went.

The Herald's Rest was brightly lit and positively bursting at the seams with joviality as Elena pushed her way inside. The warmth from the crammed bodies and hearth fires was welcome after her brief stint in the cold night air. She cast around for her friends as she meandered up to the bar. The usual bartender wasn't in attendance and instead Elena was greeted by Flissa's familiar face. Flissa made some joke about seeing Elena standing there without some man tagging along behind her as if it were unusual for her to be alone. Elena protested half-heartedly as she ordered herself a mug of ale and inquired about her friends. Flissa pointed up the stairs and turned to her next customer, palming the extra coppers Elena slipped her in thanks for helping her find the group.

"ELENA!" A large, raucous cry greeted her as she slipped up the stairs. "OVER HERE!" She turned towards the sound of the collective voices of her companions and smiled. There, seated at one of the many plain rectangular tables, was an assembly of her favorite people enjoying themselves. Reeves and Porteur sat side by side waving at her. Erik and Dorian turned around to shout their own greeting. At the foot of the table sat Marston who was seated backwards on his chair, grinning upside down at her as he craned his neck backwards to view her. At the head, with a quiet air of dignity and a visible effort to restrain himself, Cullen pushed himself to his feet. The table wobbled slightly as he did so, causing everyone to jump to grab hold of their drinks before they spilled.

Cullen walked around the table to meet her halfway and pulled her into a tight, but brief hug being careful of her drink, "It's lovely to see you."

Elena smiled warmly at him, "It's nice to see you, too. How's it been?" She gestured at the table and they closed the gap. Cullen returned to his seat at the head of the table and Elena sat on the end of the bench next to Erik.

Erik wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her against his chest, digging his knuckles into her scalp lightly, "I see how it is! He gets a hug and I get a silent sit-down. That's grounds for a trail in this castle, Lane!" Erik teased, releasing her and further ruffling her hair.

"Hello, Erik." Elena told him as she tried to correct the damage he had done to her braids and scalp. "You're still the best hair-stylist I know."

Erik shrugged, "Are you going to say hello to anyone else?"

"Oh, leave the poor thing alone! It's been too long since she's seen her man." Reeves fussed, "You ought to have heard her pining for him around the watch fires." Reeves affected Elena's voice, "'Oh! I wish the commander were here! If only he were, I'd be sooo happy. We could hold hands on patrol and everything!'" Reeves clasped her hands under her chin and looked starry-eyed towards the ceiling.

"I never said any such thing!" Elena protested, slamming her mug onto the table.

Porteur chuckled, "We know. We know. You certainly spent your fair-share of time thinking about him, though."

Marston chipped in, "I mean, honestly, Commander, if you could have seen the number of times we were able to startle her around camp…" He shook his head, letting out a low whistle as he did. "You'd be surprised she was even a warrior."

Dorian chimed in, "As much as I enjoy hearing this delightful banter, how about that game of Wicked Grace?" Elena was thankful for the mage's tactful intervention because she could feel the night taking a turn towards the not-so-fun if Marston had been allowed to continue in his pitiful attempt at telling jokes. Everyone at camp had known well enough that it was Marston who had become easy to startle as he had grown somewhat complacent in the safety of the settlements and their proximity to Skyhold. "Porteur, I hear you are quite the player. If you can prove yourself here, I might invite you to play with Josephine sometime." Dorian commented as he brought out the deck of cards and began to shuffle them with practiced ease.

Erik sighed and looked wistfully at Dorian, "I love a good mage." He whispered to Elena conspiratorially.

Elena giggled, watching Dorian maneuver the cards in a series of tricks she was certain had to be aided by actual magic, "It's almost like mages are magic."

Erik shoved her, "You are possibly the stupidest person I know." The insult was said with a grin and a wink. He picked up his cards and tapped them on the table before arranging them neatly in his hand. Elena followed suit and the game began.

There was lively conversation and good game play. Elena went out quickly. She was not good at hiding her emotions. Cullen was only slightly better and managed to beat out Reeves and Marston, but Porteur and Dorian ended up being the last two to hold any coin and eventually the pair of them called it a draw. Soon afterwards, Reeves and Porteur took his winnings off somewhere together. Erik and Dorian stayed and chatted with Marston, Cullen, and Elena. At some point, Marston, catching a whiff that maybe now was a good time for him to go to bed, left with a muttered complaint about being the only one to not have anyone. Dorian rolled his eyes and gave Elena a meaningful look. She smiled and shrugged, enjoying the weight of Cullen's hand on her thigh as he lazily toyed with his half-full mug of ale conversing with Erik about battle strategies.

Dorian motioned for her to come with him downstairs and stood. Elena did as requested, making an excuse to Cullen as she did so. "You and the commander are awfully close, wouldn't you say?" Dorian started casually as he carefully picked his way down the stairs.

"Close enough for the moment, anyway. Why? Does Erik want you to spy on me?" She teased.

Dorian stopped moving and let a couple of soldiers pass them before continuing, "Not intentionally. He has this annoying habit of bringing you two up during our private interactions. I was hoping that you could give me a few details so I can fully enjoy him. It's so difficult to—well, that's not your business, is it? Anyway, the point is, my dear, that as long as he's worried about _you_ he won't be worried about _me_. And I'd like him to worry a little more about me from time to time."

Elena could feel that her whole body had flushed with the knowledge of this new piece of Erik's intimate life, "Dorian… you and Erik are… physically involved?"

He chuffed out a sigh, "As much as I can get him involved. Like I said, it's difficult when he's worrying about you and the commander all the time." He stopped and turned to face her, giving her an appraising once-over, "So, tell me, now that I've told you what I've been up to romantically, what exactly is between you and Cullen?"

Elena stepped forward with the older man and whispered, "We've kissed, nothing more."

"Certainly that's a lie. Have you seen the way he looks at you? It's like a lion looking at a lamb."

"I'm not saying I wouldn't enjoy a good roll in the hay with him, but we haven't done anything like that. Tell Erik I am still virtuous and to pay more attention to you."

Dorian smiled down at her, "I don't think he'll believe either of us at this point. I don't know if I believe it." He separated from her and went to the bar and returned with two pitchers of ale that he shoved into her hands, "Hold please." He went to the bar and retrieved two more pitchers, "We shall set both of our accounts right with these! One for each of us, though a little less for you, I should think. No use making yourself sick just to bed a man."

"Are you encouraging me to—to—"Elena stuttered over the words as she tried to manage stairs without sloshing the ale behind Dorian's quickly retreating back. He had descended slowly so they could speak, but now that he had made up his mind to get everyone drunk, he was very spry.

Dorian paused and turned to look over his shoulders and down at her, a terribly wicked light dancing in his eyes and an almost-evil grin stretching his mouth wide beneath his curled mustache, "To make love to Cullen? Never..." He winked and continued his hasty ascent.

 **Author's Note:** **I love you all. I hope you enjoyed reading this. Chapter 14 will be coming soon! And by soon I mean before the end of March. I PROMISE! XOXO -Danbamina**


	14. Elena Acts Her Shoe Size

**Author's Note: So I did have this finished by the end of March! I just... well, I forgot to upload it. I am SO sorry!**

 **Shout outs to my three new followers: Raylis, Kanta48, and Rose13296! Thank you for the love!**

 **To ALL my followers and people who have favorited my story: THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! I LOVE YOU GUYS!**

 **Chapter 14**

Elena groaned as the morning sun broke through her window, sending a singular golden ray straight onto her face. She wriggled around and rolled over, mushing her face into her pillows as she did so. It was warm and cozy in her soft bed. The blankets and sheets were clean and had the sweet smell of being dried out of doors instead of the smoky smell of being dried over a fireplace on a rainy day. It was too early to get up for her meeting with the War Council, after all, they only wanted her final report which was tucked securely in her saddlebags at the foot of her bed. However, it was not so early that sleep was likely to find her again shortly. For now, she decided, it would be nice to simply lie in bed. She stretched her arms out and came into contact with something firm and warm and not unlike another human.

Alarmed she pushed herself up on her arms and looked over to see Cullen sleeping peacefully beside her, head and bare chest exposed to the elements. One arm was crossed over his body so his hand could be pressed underneath his face, while the other one was shoved underneath the pillows to support his head. Elena felt her breathing and heart rate immediately begin to slow down. _Well, this isn't so bad._ She thought and then she looked down at her own torso to see only a breast band wrapped around her. She gulped, panicked, and scrambled backwards. _What have I done?!_ _Erik is going to kill me!_ She clattered to the floor and let out a big "Oof!" as her body made contact with the hard stones. Her arms shot out and knocked some things from her bedside table over as she went creating an even larger noise.

Cullen sat bolt upright in the bed with a small cry. He looked around and spotted Elena on the ground. "Elena, what's going on? Are you all right? Why are you on the floor?"

Elena picked herself up, covering her body as much as she could with her arms self-consciously, "Why are you in my bed?" She snapped back at him, casting about for her shirt or pants or something!

He smiled gently at her, apparently figuring out what had happened, "You invited me; don't you remember?"

Elena spluttered, "What? No I didn't!"

At this point, Cullen was chuckling, "Yes you did. After we left the Rest I asked to escort you back here. You agreed. When we got to your door I gave you a good night kiss and you invited me inside. I agreed."

Elena could feel her whole body turning pink at where this story was leading, "You're telling me that we—that I—with you—did we… do anything?" He shook his head and moved to the edge of the bed, draping his legs out and onto the floor. She could see he was also down to just his underthings. She couldn't help but notice that his legs were strong and well-muscled. She batted that thought away quickly. All of Lady Trevelyan's warnings and lessons and expectations were passing through Elena's mind. How could she have allowed this to happen? She was a noble woman! Common women were allowed such dalliances, but not women of her station. "Cullen, Erik is going to have to tell Father about this and then Father will tell Mother and Mother will send Adrian to come and get me and take me back!" She babbled breathing hard.

Cullen held out a hand to her, "I'll tell you everything if you'll just calm down. Take my hand, please." Elena hesitantly placed her hand in his. He pulled her down onto the bed beside him. "Once we got inside, we kissed and…" Now even Cullen was becoming flustered, "You really don't remember?" Elena shook her head. Her whole body felt as if it were on tinder hooks. "Nothing? Maker… there was some touching. We didn't do anything else, I swear it. It wouldn't have been right since we had both been drinking. That's not how I want things to be with us. I've had that and it's never been a good decision come morning."

Elena sat still and remained silent beside him, processing all of this information and what it actually meant. They had had some fun, but not too much fun. Her whole life she had thought that if she were to have fun with a man in any amount it would be an all-or-nothing situation. Cullen had taught her otherwise, and this was an intriguing thought. She wished to remain a maiden until she wed, but with the uncertainty of the world, who knew if that was even a logical idea anymore? She was still a noblewoman and if she were to wed a nobleman he would wish for her to be a maiden. It could cause quite a stir if she weren't, but if she was going to be fully honest with herself, she couldn't really see ever being with anyone else anyway. Would it really have been so bad to have allowed themselves to give into passion last night? Isn't that what she wanted? To be with Cullen in every way a man and a woman could be together? She turned to look at him, shifting so her body was facing him.

"Cullen, I want to thank you for doing that. I know I didn't make it an easy decision."

Cullen smiled at her, "No. You didn't." Then, he caught her lips in his. Elena's whole body warmed as she pressed herself closer to him. He broke their contact and trailed kisses down the curve of her neck. His rough hands roved over her bare skin. She sighed, enjoying the feeling of his lips on her body. Her hands ran down the length of his strong back, bumping over slick scar tissue here and there. She wondered idly about the stories behind each one and then his mouth had returned to hers, blotting all else from entering her mind.

"Rise and shine!" Erik's voice cut in along with the sound of her door being flung open.

Elena turned, pushing Cullen back and away from her body at the exact moment the door finished opening, "Can you _knock_!?" She responded loudly, pulling the bed clothes up around herself and avoiding looking at Erik. There was a lot of shouting and some awkward fumbling from the door before it was fiercely snapped shut. Elena was too embarrassed to turn around and see exactly what was going on in the doorway but she had a good idea of what it might have looked like. She looked at Cullen and smiled nervously, "I am so sorry for that."

He shook his head, "Perhaps it is best if we get out of bed and start our days. Unfortunately it appears that we are needed elsewhere."

Later, in the war room, Elena handed her brother the neat scroll she had brought with her detailing the on goings at the settlements. She rocked back on her heels pointedly ignoring Cullen who was also pointedly ignoring her. Leliana and Josephine bantered with the commander about this sudden disinterest in her when normally it seemed he couldn't _stop_ looking at her on her infrequent visits to the war room. Cullen good-heartedly batted their teasing away. Elena stared at her brother while he read over the report.

"Everything seems to be in order for the refugees. I must say, though, I will be glad when they can all return to their normal lives in their normal homes." He rubbed is nose and groaned, "Organizing supplies for that many people is becoming a headache even for me. I can't begin to imagine how you manage it all, Josephine."

Josephine smiled and inclined her head, "It is simply part of my job, though I am not the only one involved in it."

"Of course not... It is too large a task for any one person to carry out." Leliana chimed in, "The refugees are the least of our worries, however. The reports from Adamant are troubling to say the least."

"Indeed. It seems that Corepheus is getting ready to launch a major operation there with the Grey Wardens and soon." Cullen tacked on to Leliana. "We must act before it is too late."

"Yes, but the Empress's life could be in danger long before whatever is occurring at Adamant comes to fruition. We need to—no, we _must_ attend the peace talks at Halamshiral." Josephine responded quickly.

"Once again, it falls to me to decide where we send our forces first." Erik turned to Elena, "Lane, I'm sorry, but this is going to take quite some time."

"Of course," Elena replied. It wasn't a direct request, but Elena knew that Erik wanted her to leave. She bowed to the gathered council members and left through the small door feeling blessed to not have that weight on her shoulders.

The sun was setting on the main hall, casting brilliantly colored streams of light through the stained glass windows onto the stone decorations and lush draperies. Once again, Elena was struck with how impressive Skyhold's repairs were making it look. She chewed her dinner thoughtfully at one of the long tables that lined the sides of the hall. It was a good spot to call home and an even better spot to call the headquarters of the Inquisition. She hoped that once the Inquisition disbanded they would still remain there. Presently, Leliana came out of Josephine's office and headed for her tower. Shortly afterwards, Erik and Cullen exited the room as well, walking slowly, locked in a quiet and apparently serious conversation. Elena watched them with curiosity, wondering what they were discussing with such severity out here in the main hall. They both glanced up and noticed her watching them. They exchanged looks and Erik walked over to her. _Well, this can't be good_. She thought as her brother settled in across the suddenly-empty table from her.

"Lane! How ya doin' buddy?" he started in an overly cheery voice.

"Oh, fine. You can cut the theatrics. What's the problem?" Elena squinted at him from over her goblet of water.

Erik sat back and rubbed the back of his neck with both hands; pulling his elbows in towards each other and tugging on his neck. "Listen. I know you over heard us bring up Adamant in there… and I know you like to join in the battles whenever they pop up… and I know—"

Elena held up a hand, "Stop right there." Erik stopped and looked guiltily at her. "Now, spit it out already."

"I'm not taking you to Adamant." Erik said plainly.

" _What!?_ " Elena shouted, her voice loud enough to echo in the vast upper reaches of the hall.

"Shh!" Erik clapped her hands down to the table, stopping her from getting up and storming off. "It's not because I don't think you're a capable soldier and leader! It's just… I can't tell you what is going to happen there. I would do better in my leadership role if you were not present to worry about."

"I can take care of myself!" Elena protested.

"Your past history says otherwise."

Elena rolled her eyes and tried to wrench her hands from Erik's grasp, "THAT WAS ONE TIME!"

"And I'd rather not make it a second!" he chided fiercely, pulling her back down to the table.

"You can't stop me from going, Erik! That's not fair!"

"It is! I need to leave behind an elite contingent of soldiers to hold Skyhold while we are away. You and your crew have been hand-selected to do that job!"

"You mean you picked us because it's the safest job for _me_! Don't sit there and act like Reeves, Porteur, and Marston are being held back solely because they're 'elite.' We all know that while we are among the upper ranks of your military we are _far_ from the 'elite!' If _I_ weren't their leader they would be headed off to Adamant to actually _do_ something!"

"Not necessarily…"

"Oh shut it!" She snapped. Erik fell silent but didn't let her go. After several tense moments he let go of her hands. Elena crossed them across her chest, considering her brother's blue eyes carefully. "Did Cullen put you up to this?" She asked, her voice barely steady.

Erik blushed, "No. It was my idea."

"But he didn't argue with you."

"Why would he?"

Elena rolled her eyes, "May I be excused?" Erik nodded, watching her with some light anxiety, "Thank you." She stood and left.

"Don't do anything stupid, Lane!" Erik called after her. Her feet carried her through familiar pathways and before she realized it she was slamming the door to Cullen's tower open. She charged up to him and gripped his cowl in both hands, pushing him against his bookshelf forcefully. She brought her face close to his, "Whose idea was it _really_?" She hissed.

The two messengers in the room had moved to grab onto her. They tried to pull her away. She managed to shake their grips loose. "Leave us." Cullen commanded quietly, his honey colored eyes locked onto Elena's icy blue ones. "I believe this is a private matter."

Once the door clicked closed behind them Cullen reached up and gently laid his hands on her wrists, "Please, let go of me. This is most uncomfortable being shoved against shelves like this."

Elena released him and stepped back, hands on her hips. "I'm waiting."

"It was the Inquisitor's idea, Elena." He placed one hand over his heart and held the other up and open with his palm facing her, "On my honor as a Templar."

"You're not a Templar anymore…" She pouted. "Why didn't you make him see reason? There are better people to leave here than me."

Cullen reached out to her. Elena stepped back, just out of his reach. He sighed, "I knew you wouldn't like this decision, but why would I willingly send you into harm's way when I have an option available to me to do otherwise?"

"Because you know I'd hate it. I hate sitting uselessly around."

"You didn't mind helping the settlements."

" _Helping_ the settlements is still being useful. Staying at Skyhold while the majority of the army gallops off to actual battle is just babysitting… I haven't babysat since I was a girl."

"What do you want me to do? I can't just change what's been done."

Elena groaned, "I don't know! Do _something!_ "

"I can't. Would you please stop behaving like a child now?"

"I am not!"

Cullen chuckled and finally managed to catch her in his arms, "Yes. You are. You are throwing a fit because you don't get to play with the other kids." He planted a light kiss on her lips, "I know I'll feel much better knowing you're safe here waiting for me to return."

"You're going?" Elena asked, incredulous, pushing herself away from him so she could look at his face more directly.

Cullen nodded his head, his expression growing serious, "I know I rarely leave Skyhold, but for something of this magnitude… it is best I am there."

Elena sighed, "I guess that makes sense. If I stop behaving like a child, as you say, what do I get?"

Cullen cracked a wicked smile at her, "I'm sure we can think of something…."

 **Author's Note** : **I really struggled with this chapter because I want them to move their romantic relationship along, but I also don't want to rush it... though it is definitely coming soon. I think I'll stick to the timeline of Cullen's actual romance in DAI and have it happen after Halamshiral (worst part of the game for me, but we'll see how it ends up on paper)... or it could happen sooner. Who in the world knows!? I honestly have a general plot laid out, but how it happens is pretty flexible to allow myself to have some serious fun.**

 **Anyway, I want to thank everyone again for their continued support and love for this story. I really appreciate and love all of you! Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this short little chapter. The next one is going to be MUCH longer so it's going to be awhile again. Spring Break is soon!**

 **Peace and Blessings! -Danbamina**


	15. Elena and the Waiting Game

**Author's Note: SO! It has been... awhile. I told you this chapter would be MASSIVE. It totals out at 4,856 words... and that's with taking SEVERAL events out and saving them for NEXT chapter. I truncated as much as I could. It's been a LONG time since I had a chapter this massive come out. In fact, I think this might be the longest one I've written yet... ANYWAY! ONWARDS!**

 **Shout Outs to my TONS of amazing new followers (there are a total of 26 of you beautiful people): Singerz, IAM95, 0rainbowcookiez0, DSDestined, Belbelanne, SemmelmitKse, and cookiepandaluv THANK YOU FOR THE AWESOME OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT!**

 **Most of you wonderful new followers also favorite-d the story as well! We are up to 14 favorites! WOW! I never thought I'd have this much response on a simple little story that I write purely for fun and share purely for the love of writing. I am so so so blessed to have everyone who reads, reviews, favorites, and follows. Thank you from the bottom of my worn-out teacher heart.**

 **PLEASE! Enjoy this chapter and (once again) thank you for reading the story (and these ramblings)! I do it for you! I do it for LOVE!**

 **Chapter 15**

Elena sat sullenly on the edge of Cullen's desk, watching him prepare his saddlebags and packs for the journey to the Western Approach in Orlais while she sharpened his sword. Cullen had done a good job of making her forget about her wounded pride the past several days, but with his looming departure she had renewed her petulance and it was now mixed with an intense concern for his safety. The work of tending to his weapons helped her keep hold of her composure, but it by no-means caused her to lose track of time or other thoughts. Cullen, himself, was abnormally quiet as he went about his task. He'd yet to put on his armor and the soft shush of his cotton and leather clothes was largely what filled the air between them. This was unusual for them as of late. Elena had found that there was hardly a sound she preferred over the warm, refined tones of Cullen's voice. She never cared what he spoke about, just so long as he spoke. It felt as if she was trying to fill herself up with the sound so she would never run out if he were to fall at Adamant.

She blinked to clear her suddenly blurry vision and noticed that her hands had grown still. She brushed the back of her hand across her face and resumed work on the blade in her lap. Elena held up the sword and eyed the edge critically before dragging a piece of paper across it. The paper split in two with a satisfying sound. Smiling slightly at a job well-done, she slid the sword into its sheath and set it to the side before picking up Cullen's belt dagger. As she pusheded the whetstone across the edge, she could hear him beginning to put on his armor, the buckles and straps lightly jingling and jangling as they bounced against each other and the metal plates.

At length, he thrust his arm in front of her with a frustrated grunt, "I can't get this damn lace to do right!"

Elena put the dagger back into its sheath and took his arm in her hands, adjusting the leather bracer to where it lay smoother against his arm, "Breathe. It's just a lace." She told him calmly, even though her fingers shook slightly as she pulled the strings to an even tightness against his muscled forearm.

"It's not 'just a lace.'" He began, holding out the second arm to her, "It could very well mean the difference between me keeping the arm or losing it."

"So morbid…" Elena chastised gently, letting his arm drop from her grasp, "You'd think that you should be more positive. Adamant and any fighting is at least a week away from now."

Cullen sighed heavily and bent to attach his greaves to his shins, "It's best to remain realistic in these situations. I of all people cannot afford to underestimate the coming battle… too many lives depend upon—"

"Please, stop talking about it." Elena stated shortly, cutting him off.

Cullen blinked at her, "Elena… are you really this upset about not coming?"

She looked away from him, "I'm not upset about not going anymore. My entire squadron is staying here, not just my crew, but… knowing you and my brother are going there with the plan to fight is an entirely different thing. All of our previous battles haven't been planned. We've just had them thrust on us… there really was no time to worry." She trailed off as she removed herself from the desk. She went to the window and looked out at the mountainside surrounding Skyhold, "Everything is about to change again, isn't it?"

Cullen gently tugged her to face him, "Everyone is on edge, Elena. You are not alone in these worries."

She gave him a small smile. "Promise me you'll come home in one piece?"

"That's a promise that I am afraid I cannot in good conscience make. It's too easily broken."

Elena rolled her eyes, "Why must you be so honest?"

Cullen shrugged, "It's a curse, really." He turned and gathered his packs before walking out into the sunshine and down to the stables. She followed, hoisting his saddlebags over her shoulders as she did so. He came to a stop next to his horse, which had already been saddled and bridled. Elena slung his saddlebags across the animal's broad back and turned to face the commander as he finished handing off the larger packs in his arms to a stable hand. He turned to look at her over his shoulder and gave her a smug smile as if to say _"What? I know I'm handsome._ " Elena looped her arms around his waist and pushed her face into his fur cowl.

"Look at the love birds, boss!" Iron Bull's boisterous voice sliced through the air like a whip, sending them both leaping away from each other. Quickly, Elena assumed a what-she-hoped-looked-casual stance by the horse, fiddling with the girth straps. Cullen stood away, hands pushed against his lower back and looking up at the sky as if considering the weather. Iron Bull, meanwhile, was laughing loudly at their startled responses.

Erik's laughter joined in, "Bull, you scared them half-to-death. I hardly think that's fair. Lane, I thought for sure you would be sulking in the tower. It's nice to see you've granted us with your presence." He teased, pulling gently on one of her braids as he came to a stop next to her.

Elena reached up and fixed her braid back, rolling her eyes, "As if I would miss the chance to say good bye to my darling, favorite older brother…. Where is Adrian, by the way?"

Erik shoved her lightly, "Stop that. You and I both know that Adrian would _never_ have as much fun with you as I do! Cullen is so mean making you stay behind like this!"

"It wasn't Cullen's idea and you know it."

Erik clasped a hand to his heart, "You wound me!" He paused and stood seriously in front of her, "All joking and dramatics aside, I am going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you, too." She told him as they hugged, "Be safe out there."

"Well, as safe as I can be fighting the forces of an evil greater than any this world has seen since the last Blight."

"Must you ruin every nice moment we have?"

Erik winked at her and swung up onto his horse, "It's a compulsion I can't control." He turned in his saddle to survey his mounted officers, a gleam of pride in his blue eyes. "Inquisition!" The gathered officers grew quiet until the only sound in the stable yard was the shifting of hooves on stone and the jangle of harnesses, "Today we ride for the Western Approach to put a stop to a horror we never thought possible. If we do our job well, we can change history for the better. We ride not just for the Inquisition, but for all of Thedas. Now, with me! Move out!" He looked down at Elena and smiled, "Pretty good?" He asked as his horse began to walk past her.

Elena shrugged, "I'll give it a passing mark. Until we meet again, brother…" She slapped his horse's rear playfully as it moved past her.

"Until then!" He called, moving beyond a comfortable range for conversation. Elena stood and watched the men and women who led the Inquisition's army file past her locked in comfortable conversation with each other. She waved to Iron Bull and Blackwall. Dorian blew her a dramatic kiss as he rode past, which she returned. Finally, at the tail end of the column, Cullen pulled his horse to a halt. She looked up at him and swallowed past the lump in her throat.

"Elena… Before I go," He dismounted and took her hands in his, "I don't want to leave anything left unsaid between us. Surely, you know by now how I feel about you, but I don't want to go into battle knowing that we left anything uncertain." His amber eyes searched hers. Elena felt her heart start to pound as he pulled her into his arms, one hand moving up to brush a few hairs that had worked themselves loose from her braid from her cheek, the other resting firmly around her waist. He leaned in closer until their lips were barely a breath apart. She could feel the slight chill from his breastplate pressing against her own chest, the smooth roughness of his leather gloves on her skin, the soft fur of his cowl brushing against her neck, and the warmth of his breath as it blew over her mouth. "What I'm trying to say is that I—"

There was a clatter of hooves and a voice, "Commander!"

Abruptly, Cullen released Elena and rounded on the messenger, every line of his body tense with anger, " _What_!" He barked out harshly. Elena felt her lips turn down in an equally disgruntled frown, but she couldn't help feeling rather impressed at the level of communication carried out by that single word.

The messenger backed her horse up several steps, "The Inquisitor is waiting for you at the head of the column." She stated nervously, "Your presence is requested immediately."

"Tell him I'm coming." Cullen growled. The messenger nodded and whipped her horse around and off just as quickly as she had arrived. "I'm sorry, Elena. I've got to go." He swung back onto his horse and leaned down, cradling her cheek in his hand. She stood on her tiptoes and captured his lips in a farewell kiss. "I promise to come back to you in one piece." He said as they pulled apart. He clucked to his horse and cantered off. Elena watched him go, frozen in place. _Was he about to tell me he loves me?_ She touched her lips, thinking deeply, she could still feel the slight scratch of his stubble and the warmth of his kiss there. _What would I have said in return?_

"Thought I might find you here." Marston's rumbling voice broke through her reverie.

"What?" Elena looked up, meeting Marston's icy blue eyes with her own. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch that."

Marston hooked a thumb into his belt loop and cocked his head to one side, "You all right?"

Elena nodded, pulling her hand away from her mouth, "Never better. Let's gather the troops and talk business a bit. Then, we can relax. With the Inquisition's main force so close by right now, we really don't have to worry. It's a good time to plan."

"You don't waste a minute, do you?"

"Not when I've got responsibilities to take care of. Come on; help me get everyone together in the courtyard. It won't take long to lay out our plan for the next couple weeks." She motioned him to follow her as she started up the main stairs to the courtyard. Marston chuckled and fell into step beside her.

"Yes ma'am."

The next couple of weeks went back smoothly and without problem. This didn't help to speed the time along, but it certainly wasn't a negative occurrence. Elena thanked the Maker for the peace around Skyhold, but she also cursed him because the relative calm of Skyhold left her more time than she cared for to worry. She worried about her brother and his companions, any word Leliana received was guarded closely and Josephine was no help. All the wheedling attempts to gain information about the state of affairs in the Western Approach Elena could muster only supplied her with basic information from weeks prior. For instance, Elena had learned and relearned that Griffon Wing keep was now in Inquisition control and was actually quite a beneficial fortification. It was close to the Abyssal Rift, but not so close as to be like Adamant, which Josephine worried about falling into the Rift during the battle. At this utterance Josephine had quickly shooed Elena from her study and locked the door behind her.

Elena hated being purposefully kept in the dark like that. Leliana was even worse. Whenever Elena would casually wander up to the raven rookery to see if any letters had arrived for her… Leliana would conveniently be missing or too busy to speak at length. She supposed a good spy master would know the movements of any and all important peoples within the confines of the castle at any given moment, but even a good spy master had to be caught out from time to time. Elena thought it was a testament to Leliana's superb abilities that she was totally unable to catch the older woman off-guard or unprepared for her presence. Of course, that meant that Elena had to simply wait and see what would happen when the soldiers trickled back into the safety of Skyhold.

In the meantime, Marston tried his best to keep her occupied. He'd go on long horse rides with her to survey the perimeter, telling stories from his colorful childhood. Elena learned he had been a somewhat notorious figure in his hometown. He wasn't involved in anything illegal, but being the town flirt had its own perks and draw-backs. He showed her several scars he received from knife fights with men who were defending their sister, wife, or even in some cases, daughter's honor. Elena believed him. It was easy to see how women would fall for Marston's striking blue eyes and ruggedly good looks. He had an easy way about him when he allowed himself to relax and just _be_. Lately, he'd let go of whatever caused him to be protective of her and she found herself seeking him out from time to time in lieu of Porteur or even Reeves. It had become difficult to find either of them separate from the other as of late.

"Elena, can I ask you something?" Marston started on one of their perimeter checks, tugging his horse to a halt next to a stream. Elena pulled up next to him and waited while their horses drank the water. "What're you going to do about Reeves and Porteur?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, stretching her arms over her head and yawning. "They're perfectly fine soldiers."

"Surely you've noticed their romance."

"What about it?"

"I'm just wondering what you're going to do. When the Inquisitor returns, he'll probably send us on a mission somewhere far away. Is it really wise to allow them _both_ to come with us? Wouldn't their romance be more of liability than anything else?"

Elena pulled a face at him, "What brought this on?"

Marston shrugged, kicking his horse forward through the water, "I was just thinking about how we used to have that weird thing going on between us. Now, looking back, I'm glad you didn't encourage me. It was difficult watching you in the Fallow Mire and at Haven… to be honest, when I noticed you weren't with us at the second trebuchet, I made a stupid mistake that got my arm broken. I'm lucky that's all that happened to me."

"You never told me that."

"Why would I? It's not really the kind of thing I'd admit to someone I was trying to impress with my amazing battle skills."

"You thought that would work on me?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly at her, "I noticed how much you admired the commander and I figured that was the only thing he had that I didn't so… I may have been trying to over compensate at some points."

Elena openly laughed, finally understanding what he wanted from her, "You're ridiculous! Cullen and I… I don't really know. When I was training with the Templars back in Ostwick I had promised I would never become romantically involved with a Templar. Of course, I really couldn't have since my parents would never have allowed it. That would have brought shame to House Trevelyan. Anyway, Cullen isn't a Templar, and I never knew him as one. He's always been the Commander to me. People used to try to convince me that his past with the Templars was what defined him and so I shouldn't care for him in any capacity beyond how a soldier feels about their superior officer. I honestly started out just trying to prove everyone wrong. I wanted so badly for him to have always been the good man he is now, but that's just not the truth. He's still struggling with those demons. Even knowing all that I know now—" Marston snorted derisively, "I _know_ it's not the full-story— I don't think I'll ever get the full story. Even knowing all that I know now about him there's still this deep, noble side of him that I find positively magnetic…. I can't put my finger on it, but from the second I looked at his face, I was a goner." She stopped talking and looked at Marston, wondering if she was making sense, "Listen to me. I'm talking in circles, aren't I?"

"Kind of…" Marston wobbled one hand at her, "What you're saying is you just love the man?"

"I don't know about that."

"I still don't know what he has that I don't."

"I think it's a maturity thing."

"I'm mature!"

Elena shook her head, "You're not mature if you start a conversation about one thing that isn't a problem trying to make it a problem so that you can wheedle extra information out of someone who didn't want to be with you romantically about why they weren't interested in you."

"That hurt my head to listen to."

"Exactly my point. Oh, look! We're back!" Skyhold loomed in front of them like a gargoyle, the main gates were pulled back and the portcullis was open, "That's not right…"

Marston furrowed his brows, surveying the scene, "What's not right?"

Elena shook her head, "The portcullis isn't supposed to be up while we're out." She told him, "Did you hear any horn calls?"

Marston shook his head, "No, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. They could have forgotten to lower it when we left."

She frowned, "Let's go a little faster."

"You're so suspicious." Marston grumbled. They trotted their horses beneath the portcullis's gaping maw and clattered across the bridge. "Who left all these sacks and crates here?" Marston asked, guiding his mount around a large stack.

"I don't know." The stable yard was absolutely bustling with activity. Elena's horse shied away as a group of soldiers rushed past, their armor clanking loudly. The animal backed into a group of stacked, empty crates, sending them crashing down behind him. This further frightened the already-nervous animal and he spun on his haunches, stomping his feet and shaking his head violently from side to side against the bit in his mouth. Elena fought to calm him down, hoping nobody would get in the way. It wasn't usual for her horse to be so skittish, but she wasn't unfamiliar with this kind of thing. "Silly beast, it's just empty boxes!" She hissed to him as she worked to keep him from totally losing his mind. She could hear people calling out, but she didn't pay attention to the words they were saying. The horse stopped spinning and stood, stomping and giving little half-hops. Elena slid from the saddle quickly and went to grab his bridle only find herself bumping into someone. "Oops! Sorry! He's normally pretty level-headed." She explained as a stable hand came over and took the animal away from them wordlessly, finishing settling him down as they did so. She turned to fully look at the person who had helped her and froze.

"Is that all you have to say to me?"

Elena was shocked into silence by the person standing before her.

"Well?"

Her hands went over her mouth in disbelief.

"Surely you were raised better than this."

"Where is he?" She asked from around her fingers, her voice shaking slightly.

"Ah, she can speak. Here I was thinking you'd suddenly been struck mute!"

"Dorian!" She flung her hands downwards dramatically, "Where are they?"

The mage smiled gently at her and placed a large hand on her shoulder, "They're in the War Room. I'd be careful, though, your brother's been through… let's call it 'quite an ordeal' since you last saw him. I doubt your commander faired any better." He passed a hand through his hair, settling it into its proper place, and twirled his mustache, a far-off look in his gray eyes, "I know I won't be able to sleep well for at least a month."

Elena put her arms around him, pulling him close, "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"My dear girl, you don't even know what happened!" He responded, settling his arms around her lightly, "I appreciate the sentiment, though. Now go find your men-folk."

Elena smiled warmly at him as she moved to leave, "Dorian, you're part of 'my men-folk,' too, you know."

"Yes, yes, yes. It's only logical to have someone as marvelous as me involved in that little group. I fear it would be terribly dull otherwise." He made shooing motions at her, "Now, really, get going. All this open affection is making me feel nauseous."

Elena's feet struck the stones of the Great Hall firmly as she skidded to a stop. The carpet down the center aisle bunched beneath her feet. There, in front of the large, wooden throne, stood her brother. He was a good distance away from her, but she'd know the sight of him anywhere. All the Trevelyan men had the same look about them. Assuming a more appropriate pace for inside a building, she continued forward. She hadn't realized that there had been a small knot of anxiety in her heart for Erik until it released upon sight of him. As she grew closer, she could pick out more details of his features. He had sunk down into the fur-covered seat, resting his head in one hand, the other draped carelessly over his crossed knee. There were pale gray circles beneath his eyes when he finally looked up at her. His skin, which had been a healthy tan when he left, was wan and pale as if what he'd experienced at Adamant had taken all of his strength to overcome. The anchor mark on his upturned left hand sat dormant but vibrantly green against his palm. Had it gotten bigger? She'd never really taken notice before. She came to a stop on the middle stair of the raised dais that the throne resided on, waiting on him.

Erik gave her a small smile, "Elena. It's nice to see you." He said, even his voice sounded tired.

"Are you well?" She asked, taking the last few steps to come within arm's reach of him. She bent and examined his face more closely, trying to see if this was a temporary or a permanent change.

Erik waved her worried look aside, "Of course I'm well. I'm just tired from traveling. After Adamant there was nothing more any of us wanted than the safety and familiarity of Skyhold, so we rushed home."

"The rest of the army?"

"Coming along as quickly as they can… I dare say they'll be trickling in here in the next few days or so."

"That's good. Dorian said it was bad."

Erik scoffed, "I'm sure he wasn't so plain about it." His face grew dark and thoughtful as he looked off in the opposite direction of her.

"Do I need to know?"

"No."

"Do you want to tell me anyway?"

His eyes slid to lock onto hers, "No. I don't think that would help much. I just… need some time."

Elena nodded, "As you wish."

Erik's face brightened up, "Mother would be ashamed of us!" He exclaimed, shoving himself from the throne. Elena gave him a puzzled look as she moved out of his way, "Here I am, newly returned from the wars, and all I'm doing is blathering on about not wanting to talk to you! That's not very mannerly of me!" He wrapped her in a hug, "I'm so sorry, Elena. I really did miss you."

She returned the hug, deciding to just accept the abrupt shift in his mood, "I miss you, too, Erik. I'm glad you are home and that you are safe."

"Me too. It would _not_ have been fun to be unsafe and away from home all at once!" He paused, "Of course, charging into battle isn't really a dull acitivity."

"Not at all."

"What are you and your little friends doing later?"

"We didn't have plans."

"You do now! You are all coming to the Herald's Rest for the festivities! There will be dancing, singing by all who wish to sing, games, food, and drink to celebrate our triumphant return! Then, when the proper army returns, we shall throw them a proper feast!" He clapped his hands together and headed down the aisle towards the front doors. He turned and walked backwards for a few steps, "Isn't there someone you're forgetting… in that direction?" He pointed towards the door that led to Solas's rotunda before turning back around and sauntering away, whistling a light tune. _Dorian wasn't kidding._ Elena thought as she watched her brother's retreating back. _He really isn't himself._

Elena stepped from the shade of the doorway and into the bright sunlight outside of Solas's rotunda on her way to Cullen's tower. Just as she did so she heard the banging of a door not-so-far off. Coming across the bridge towards her was Cullen. She smiled broadly and called out his name. He looked up and smiled back at her. Without realizing it, she had started running. She slammed into him, nearly knocking him backwards off of his feet. Her arms snaked around his shoulders, tugging him close to her as she planted a large kiss on his mouth. Cullen caught his balance and wrapped his arms around her, returning the kiss with equal fervor. When at length they broke apart, they both stood separate from each other, breathing hard, just staring at each other.

"Welcome home." Elena said after several moments of silence.

Cullen smiled warmly, "Thank you. How was Skyhold while we were away?"

Elena shrugged and stepped beside him, taking his hand in hers as they started walking back the direction she had come from. "It was all right. Pretty boring, actually." Cullen nodded, "I heard Adamant was eventful."

"To say the least."

"What exactly _did_ happen there? Obviously we won, but…"

"Didn't the Inquisitor tell you?" Elena shook her head and waited as he opened the door for her. "Ah, well… quite a lot actually." He closed the door behind them and took her hand again, leading the way. "When we got there the place was already a bloody mess. We managed to get some control over the battle and the Inquisitor actually got some of the Wardens to lay down their arms and abandon the fight."

"Impressive."

"Yes. Once he located Commander Clarel, the battle got away from us. That damned arch demon, or whatever it is, showed up again and the whole blasted thing went up in smoke. Luckily, we had been somewhat prepared for something like that so our forces were ready to take quick action. We subdued the remaining Wardens. Meanwhile, the Inquisitor and his party somehow wound up in the Fade. When they returned they were without Hawke, but other than that, apparently, none-the-worse-for-wear." He stopped walking as they entered the garden.

"So that's why he's so… different."

"Can you really blame him?"

Elena shook her head, "It sounds like a crazy mission. I'm glad he came home safely though. How are you feeling after all of that?"

Cullen rubbed the back of his neck, dropping her hand in the process, "I believe I am all right. I haven't had any nightmares from it, which is a fairly new experience for me."

"You have nightmares?"

He stopped, "Did I just say that?" Elena nodded, "Well... Ah, um… care for a game of chess?" He gestured at the unoccupied chess board sitting under the gazebo.

Elena rolled her eyes, "You're just going to ignore my question then?"

Cullen pointedly did not meet her eyes as he led the way to the waiting board and took a seat opposite her, "Do you know the rules of this game? The premise?"

She shrugged nonchalantly as she settled herself more comfortably in her chair. She viewed the board critically, "Out wit and out maneuver your opponent to win. Simple enough." She looked him over carefully, "Of course, you _may_ be at an advantage seeing as that is quite literally your job…"

Cullen swept his arms out to the side in a wide arc, "It's not my fault for being so well-practiced. Are you sure you want to play? I'd hate to embarrass you."

Elena chuckled, picking up her first piece, "Oh, no, Commander, it is I who would hate to embarrass you."

 **Author's Note: I thought it'd be nice to end on a pretty normal thing for these two. More to come as soon as I finish these final quarter grades! OH MY GOSH I AM ALMOST DONE WITH MY FIFTH YEAR OF TEACHING ALREADY! Enjoy the rest of your week, lovelies! Peace and Blessings -Danbamina**


	16. Elena and the Mine

**Author's Note: HELLO! It's SUMMA, SUMMA, SUMMA TIME EVERYONE! I've spent the last week totally relaxing and doing the million things I couldn't do because I work during business hours for MOST PLACES! #teacherprobs**

 **Shout Outs! Thanks for the lovely reviews I've gotten on Chapter 15! WOW! Those were so uplifting.  
One of you beautiful people was a guest to this site, and let me tell you, that review came right after I had gotten done teaching a really difficult class so it really brightened my day!  
My other review from my new follower, happy-sagara, is also greatly appreciated! I'm so glad you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it! T** **bh, Dorian is... difficult to write, so I'm glad I'm doing a decent job with him. :)**

 **Ummm, that's all! Enjoy Chapter 16!**

 **Chapter 16**

"So this is Sahrnia?" Marston's gruff voice quavered out, "Couldn't your brother send us somewhere… you know… _warmer_?"

Elena shook her head as she pulled her horse to a stop. "Erik will send us where we are needed. Regardless of your personal feelings about the weather, Marston…" Elena dismounted and began to unpack her horse. "Let's set up camp and then we can get to exploring the region. Erik wants us to look into the town and mines in particular."

"Does he think we can help the villagers regain control of the mines, or does he want us to do more reconnaissance?" Reeves asked as she began to clear snow from the ground where she would set the women's tent up.

Elena shrugged, pitching in to help her friend, "I suppose it's a little bit of both. His instructions were vague at best."

Porteur laughed as he began the same chore for the men, "I doubt he cares more about the villagers than the silverite and dawnstone mines! Any reasonable leader would focus on garnering supplies to fight the enemy _before_ helping the villagers."

"Maybe it is possible to do both simultaneously?" Elena replied, unrolling the ground covering for her and Reeves's tent.

Porteur grunted with effort, "Possibly. Though, from what I remember of this area the mines are really the only thing worth anything around here… if you exclude Suledin Keep, that is."

"Suledin Keep?" Reeves queried from her spot opposite Elena.

Porteur nodded, shouldering the ropes to bring the tent into an upright position, "Yes, my dear, it is Elvish. However, it has fallen into great disrepair over the ages. I suppose if a force like the Inquisition or the Templars got ahold of it… they could transform it back into some semblance of its former glory." He and Marston both pulled on their ropes at the same time and erected their tent. They pounded their stakes into the frozen ground with some difficulty. "You ladies need help?" Porteur stood, stretching himself in a manly fashion and winking at Reeves as he did so.

Reeves rolled her eyes and finished pounding her own stake into the ground, "No, we've got it under control." She told him, flashing him a brilliant smile.

The village of Sarhnia was quiet, not many people resided there. A few wandered about muttering to each other about items and loved ones lost to the mines and the Red Templars. Elena couldn't figure out what had happened to turn this, from what-she-gathered, once-prosperous town to the sad, run-down group of buildings it was now. The noble woman who seemed to be the most in-charge, blamed the Red Templars for taking over the area so quickly and ferociously. Elena had surveyed the surrounding area with unease, glad to only have to hold it as long as it took for Scout Harding to arrive with more of the Inquisition's soldiers. Her small squadron was enough to fully-secure the village, but she felt unsure about the surrounding land. The vast hills spread out and around the village creating a valley. The village itself was situated near the river, which had frozen over completely in the winter months and had yet to thaw. The buildings were run-down and ramshackle at best. She wondered how anybody managed to eke out a living here. _Why would they?_ She thought, using her toe to push experimentally at a door support only to watch the whole thing come crashing down in a shower of soot and snow. _It's depressing here._

"What a shame… Sarhnia used to be such a cute town." Porteur mused, "My parents used to bring us here on holiday sometimes to play in the river and hike in the mountains around the mines while they managed their business arrangements in the area."

"Your parents had business arrangements here?" Reeves asked as she stepped around a pile of fallen rocks.

Porteur nodded, "Oh yes. They had invested a good bit of money into the creation of the mines. They don't any longer since they have died. My elder brother now manages their estate and he says he sold the mine holdings back to the original owners long before the Breach and the apparent ruin of this town."

"Interesting. I forget you're from Orlais sometimes." Marston chimed in, "You don't really have the accent."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Elena had moved ahead of the group, looking for villagers. Where there was a village, there should have been villagers, and yet she did not see any at present. Though, the lack of people would account for the disrepair of the place. Finally they stumbled onto a set of two people whispering around a sputtering campfire. In the distance, Elena could hear the garbled sounds of wolves fighting something. She cast an expert eye over her companions and motioned for them to spread out and form a perimeter around the campfire. Cautiously she approached the fire pit and stood in front of the two people.

The woman stood and backed up between the make-shift benches that surrounded the blaze. "Oh my! Inquisition! When did you arrive?" She looked nervously about herself, wringing her hands together. "Torman, you didn't tell me the Inquisition was due to arrive today." She scolded the man sitting nearby in a false tone.

The man, Torman, shrugged as if he couldn't be bothered with things like soldiers coming suddenly into camp, "Didn't know they were… I bet Michele will be glad to see them."

Elena coughed, "We didn't make our arrival public knowledge. The Inquisition has permission from the Empress to have a presence here."

"See, Bethilda? Nothing to worry about. The _Empress_ gave them permission." Torman told the woman motioning for her to be seated, "So, relax."

Bethilda nodded and sat, though she was still obviously nervous, "What do you want from us? We're just poor villagers trying to make it through the last bit of Winter."

Elena sighed and sank slowly onto her haunches, holding out her hands to the flames, "We don't want anything from you. We just wanted to make our presence known. We are here to help protect you from whatever is going on up at the mines."

"The mines?" Torman grunted, laying a hand on the bench next to Bethilda, "There's not been any mining there for quite some time now. So we won't need protecting. The Inquisition can just go on back to wherever it is you came from."

"Th-that's right!" Bethilda piped up. "You just go on back where you came from and leave us here."

Elena shook her head and stood, clearly these people were willing to say whatever they felt was necessary to get her to leave. They were useless for information, "My men and I cannot leave until we've done our duty. You mentioned Michele? Where is he? I'd like to speak to him." Torman pointed away out of one of the few remaining gates to the village. It had been fortified with wooden _cheval de frise_. _Clearly they don't need protecting…_ She ordered some men to stay behind and guard the village, others were to return to camp and guard that, she took her three companions with her to go and seek out Michele.

They found him dragging his blade out of the corpse of a rather large wolf. Elena called out to him. He looked up, registered that they were Inquisition, and wiped his blade on a handkerchief before sliding it back into its sheath. Michele wore the armor of an Orelsian Chevaliar. He had medium-length blonde hair that was swept back from his forehead and tucked behind his ears. Elena couldn't help but think that if Cullen had been born in Orlais… this man might be exactly what he would have grown into. She giggled to herself as they came within speaking distance of each other.

"Greetings, Inquisition!" he called in a thick Orlesian accent, "Are you here to save the town?"

Elena shook her head, ignoring the muffled groans from her companions, "Only in part, I'm afraid."

"Ah, well then, how may I be of service to you?"

"We are here to help bolster the village's fortifications and gather information. I see you have already started on the first half of that, some of my men have added to your efforts already." She gestured behind her where a few soldiers were standing around, surveying the scene with critical eyes. "Do you have any information for the Inquisition?"

Michele smiled, spreading his arms wide, "Let's see… There are Red Templars hanging about all-over the place. Though, their numbers do seem to be the most concentrated around the old mine, which has suddenly become operational again. There's a demon residing in Suledin Keep, all attempts I've made at vanquishing it have been foiled. And there seems to be an increasing problem with the local wolves."

"Anything about Sharnia in particular?"

Michele shrugged, "The villagers seem to be disappearing, and no one really knows where to. Most think they've just left the area, others believe they've been taken to the mines."

Elena turned to look at her companions, "I say we go investigate the mines. It seems to be where most of these troubles are stemming from." Marston told her, leaning on his great axe causally.

"If there really are villagers trapped in the mine, we should work to release them." Reeves added, "The demon in Suledin Keep is something the Inquisitor should handle personally."

Elena nodded, "Agreed. Porteur?"

Porteur saluted her, "To the mines, my lady!" he said grandly dropping his hand and marching away from the group in a mockery of a double-step. Everyone fell into step behind him. As they headed up the path, they began to encounter great spires of red Lyrium protruding from the ground like grasping hands. This caused them more than a little bit of worry as they all skirted around the spikes, making sure to give them a wide berth. It felt like that the red Lyrium was actually attempting to reach out and grab them. After a short while they came upon a small camp surrounded by yet more _cheval de frise_ and in the middle of it a cluster of Red Templars. Everyone halted and looked to Elena for advice. She motioned for them to climb around the outside edge of the camp to try and avoid a fight. As she edged along a rock ledge, trying her hardest not to jostle any snow or rocks down the side of the hill they had climbed, she made a mental note of the camp's location and the number of red Templars inside of it. It appeared to be a fairly new camp, with no tents set up, so if her brother could arrive soon or even send in reinforcements, the Inquisition would certainly be able to take the camp with little trouble and turn it into one of their own.

Elena edged onto more solid footing and led the way inside a tunnel-like cave. It opened up into a cavern filled with icicles and rock features. On the sides she could see outcroppings of bloodstone and dawnstone peeking at her, just waiting to be mined. Now, was not the time to mine anything, but she noted the presence of them for her report. Luckily, in that cramped space, they didn't run into any more red Templars. She was glad of this because she wasn't sure what they would face if they did. After another short time travelling up a narrow path outside of the cavern, they encountered a larger camp of Templars. This one had been well-fortified. Clearly the Templars had been here longer. Following the same line of thinking from the previous camp, they edged along the outside of this one as well. Once again, they were surprisingly lucky to avoid conflict. Elena was beginning to get suspicious of this fortuitous turn of events.

"Don't you think it's strange that we've been able to avoid any actual fighting up to this point and we've passed _two_ Red Templar camps?" Elena hissed to Marston as they walked further away from the second camp.

Marston shrugged casually, "I'm not one to question a blessing from the Maker when it is given to me."

"Well, I think it's strange." Reeves replied, pushing Marston out of their loose formation, "You should be more wary. Just because we haven't been in trouble yet doesn't mean that it isn't going to happen."

"Exactly! For all we know the Templars know we're here and are letting us go by so we will drop our guards and they can kill us." Porteur added.

"Or capture us." Elena mused, "That would be worse than killing us. I'd rather die than get captured… again."

"Worried about your reputation?" Marston joked, "Seeing as your reputation is that you tend to get captured and all… I don't think you've much to worry about." He laughed openly at his own poor sense of humor. Elena and the others grew silent, deciding not to rise to his baiting remarks. After a moment Marston sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend anyone. I was just trying to lighten the mood."

"This isn't really the _time_ for a 'light mood.'" Porteur told him, "But we accept your apology. Be more tactful in the future, please."

After some time travelling and two close calls, the group reached the mines. Everyone looked to Elena, waiting on instructions. The entrance was heavily guarded, but from what she knew from her study of the region, the mine was cut deep into the hillsides and had several vantage points from which they could gather information. There was no way that her small band of warriors, efficient though they were, would be able to stand up against the red menace before them. Stealth and reconnaissance was all that this particular trip would require. They could return the next day to rescue any villagers they discovered with the rest of the squadron. Until then, it was time to spy.

"All right, here's the plan." Elena picked up a stout twig and started sketching the shape of the mines in the snow, "We are going to follow the rim of the mine. Once we find a suitable location we will observe and report. There is to be no engaging with the enemy. As on the way up here, we are far out-numbered and with their… abilities we are also out-matched." She explained, outlining her plan on the map as she did so, "I'm not sure how accurate this map is, but it's the best I can do from a memory of an old map. If you need to add anything, speak up." When no one actually did speak up, she continued, "I want to come in to the main quarry pit here." She drew a mark where she thought would be a good location for them to hide and observe, "We'll go in fast and quiet, get the information we need, and then get the hell out of there. Maker willing no one will know we were even there."

"For someone who doesn't necessarily believe in the Chant, you sure talk about the Make a lot." Marston joked in a whisper as he straightened up and drew his battle axe, hefting it in his hands thoughtfully.

Elena and the others stood, drawing their weapons as well, "Just because I don't like the Chantry… that doesn't mean I don't believe in the Maker." She whispered back, "Now shush up. We're moving."

It had been several hours of staring down into an empty pit. Elena's legs were cramped and stiff with cold. Her entire lowers half was soaked with melted snow. Her fingers seemed to be literally frozen around the leather-wrapped hilt of her sword. With a sigh of meatal against leather, she slid her sword back into its sheath. The others, taking their cue from her, also put their weapons away. There was no sense in remaining armed while they were hidden and quiet. It just caused their hands to ache anyway. Down below, Elena heard the beginnings of movement. She and Reeves moved closer to the edge of the pit and looked down. Red Lyrium sprouted from the sheer walls of the mine. It was even piled neatly onto wagons here and there. In other places, it was simply stacked, waiting to be transported to a wagon. Once it separated from the rock it took on a dull, darker red color. Elena couldn't help but be reminded of the floor of a butcher's shop looking at the slick material lying in the wagons. She swallowed nervously as the activity moved into the center of the pit.

"This one says he can't work anymore." A Red Templar said, shoving a plainly-clothed villager to the ground in front of a man who was wearing some of the most outrageous armor Elena had ever seen. Was that armor made of Red Lyrium? "What do you want me to do with him, sir?"

The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "He can become a source for us. It's the only thing really in these situations."

The red Templar laughed, dragging the villager away and down one of the many branching corridors towards a different pit, "We'll make you red yet." His voice drifted ominously back to Elena. She looked over at Reeves who was visibly disgusted as well. The elf shifted her weight as if she were going to leave, but stopped as a caged cart full of new villagers rattled into the pit. Once the scraggly horses had been taken elsewhere, the man in the strange armor walked around the cart, considering the villagers with great care. At last he pointed to one. A different Templar stepped forward, unlocked the gate, and forcibly pulled the villager out of the cart. The villager stumbled and fell in front of the strangely-armored knight and stayed there, cowering against the snow-speckled gravel.

The knight nudged the villager with his boot, speaking too low for Elena to hear. She looked to Reeves and cupped a hand around her ear, pointing downwards. Reeves shook her head, she couldn't hear either. Elena sighed and scooted back from the edge, motioning for the others to follow her as she exited their hiding spot. Carefully, she wound her way around towards where the Red Templar had dragged the villager who couldn't work off to. The next pit was secluded from the rest with only the one corridor leading to it. Elena and her companions skirted the edge quickly and quietly, doing their best not to send any snow or other debris skittering down the sheer walls of the mine lest they alert someone to their presence and end their streak of luck. As they arrived at their destination, they could see the villager being chained to a wooden wall by the Red Templar. The villager was struggling against his manacles, but to no avail. He weakened quickly and slumped into the restraints, the picture of defeat. Beside her, Elena felt Reeves shift uneasily, heard her breathing become ragged. Down in the pit, the Red Templar returned to the villager with a goblet filled with some smoking substance. The villager renewed his struggles, this time adding in some shouted protests. Elena's stomach knotted. She gripped the hilt of her sword so tightly her knuckles cracked.

The Red Templar, using one hand, tilted the struggling villager's head back, gripping his jaw so that it was partially open. In a swift, practiced motion, he upended the contents of the goblet into the villager's mouth. Then, he dropped the goblet and clamped that hand over the villager's mouth. The liquid poured from the villager's nose as he attempted to breathe and refused to swallow at the same time. It was thick and viscous, a bright, glowing red that steamed in the frozen air. The villager shook his head frantically from side to side, kicking out at the Templar, who deftly shifted his stance around to avoid the flying feet. After a minute or so of this, the villager coughed and the Red Templar released him, wiped his hands and headed off back down the corridor.

Elena and her companions sat in tense silence, waiting to see what would happen as the villager continued to shake and writhe below them. Reeves moved into a kneeling position, her bow in one hand, eyes fixed on the villager below. Porteur and Marston moved behind Reeves, most likely so they wouldn't have to witness what was occurring. Suddenly, the villager began to shriek. He pulled at the manacles, lifting himself up from the ground in his efforts to break them. He continued his blood-curdling shrieking as his body started to convulse in reaction to whatever had been poured down his throat. Elena back-pedaled, horrified. She tugged on Reeves's shirt sleeve as she moved. Reeves shook her off, stood, and in one fluid motion, drew an arrow from her quiver, knocked it, and fired it. The arrow flew swiftly down into the pit, lodging itself into the villager's eye socket, silencing him. Elena stared at what her soldier had done. She turned, reached out, and slapped Reeves smartly across the face. The sound of the slap echoed slightly against the hills around them. Reeves tugged her jacket down further on her body and nodded curtly.

"Inquisition!" A deep, guttural voice came from below them, echoing up the mine walls, amplified by the natural acoustics.

"Run!" Elena barked, but it wasn't necessary. They were already running as a unit. Reeves led their way back through the hills surrounding the mines. Porteur and Marston followed her closely, and Elena tailed them by a few steps. They were passing through a stand of dilapidated houses and broken forest at the top of a hill when she saw it… the flicker of armor in the watery sunlight. She pushed forward, throwing her arms out and shoving her three companions down the hillside, she saw them go tumbling downwards faster than armored knights would be able to run, and then she felt hands lock around her waist. She twisted, pulling a knife from her belt and stuck it in her attacker's forearm. They dropped her. She got to her feet quickly, pulling her sword from its sheath as she did so. She readied herself for a fight, shifting her shield from her back onto her arm. The Templars circled her loosely, giving her plenty of space, but not so much she felt an escape attempt wise.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" The man with the strange armor came forward, the Templars separating neatly for him. Elena settled her shield and spun her blade, choosing to remain silent. "You Inquisition scum have finally found your way to Emprise du Lion, I see." He said, walking closer to her and smirking. "It's too bad we made it here before you. You may have actually done this sleepy little town some good." He laughed, the Templars joined in.

"I don't see how that's funny." Elena replied, "Forcing innocent people to slave in your mine until they're too exhausted to work and then… I don't know what you do after that, but I know it's torture!"

The man shrugged his shoulders, still smirking, "And I suppose you were sent here to stop me?" Elena didn't say anything. The man quirked his head to one side, eyes narrowing as he continued to move closer to her. "You know… you look familiar to me." He stepped closer. Elena jabbed out with her sword, scratching it against his armor. He drew his own blade and engaged with her. The duel was quick, lasting only moments before Elena was disarmed. The man dropped his sword, swooped in, and grasped her roughly by the throat, "Don't toy with me, girl." He hissed into her face, his gloved fingers digging into the soft parts of her cheeks and throat. He tightened his grip, using his weight and height to lean over her, forcing her to the ground. Elena choked, dragging in ragged, shallow breaths of air around his hold. Her hands gripped onto his wrist and dug between his fingers, trying to pry him off of her. He laughed at her efforts, the sound had a harsh, manic edge to it that belied his inner insanity. Elena stopped fighting and stared defiantly back into his ruthless eyes. Realization crossed his features, and his grip loosened, "I know who you are…." He breathed out, "You're the Inquisitor's _sister_!" He jerked her roughly up to her feet again, still holding onto her face and neck. He brought her close to his body, the other hand snaking up and into her hair, tugging cruelly at the back of her head, tilting it fully back. She grunted as he let go of her face and relied on the grasp he had on her hair to control her. "We had heard rumors the Inquisitor had a sister in his army! And he's sent her straight to us! Let's have some _fun_ with her, yeah?"

 **Author's Note: OH SNAP! Get ready for a shift!**


	17. Elena is Missing

**Author's Note: HELLO! Wow! I was expecting this chapter to take a little bit longer, but here I am, posting another chapter. ALL HAIL SUMMER TIME! And actually having the energy and brain-capacity to attend to my hobbies. :)**

 **I have one new follower, .Angel, HEEEEEY! Thank you for the follow! I appreciate it! Glad you enjoy the story! :))))) And to everyone who has favorite-d this story (there are SO MANY of you guys!), THANK YOU!**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as it is a bit of a switch from the usual.**

 **Chapter 17**

Cullen stood on the crest of a hill looking down at his family's home in Ferelden. He smiled, remembering the many days he and his siblings spent playing in the bright green grass of the meadows that surrounded it. From this distance, his family appeared to be the size of dolls as they moved about performing their regular chores. Something about watching them from the hill made him feel safe and warm, as if nothing bad had happened or ever could. He knew this was untrue, however, especially considering the life he had led. A dull pain started up in the back of his eyes, nose, and throat as he allowed his mind to wander back in time over his service with the Templars… from basic training at thirteen to his time in Denerim and through all of his decisions at Kirkwall (good and bad). Gradually the pain grew to a cloying dryness in his throat. He had to get some water and fast. He jogged down the hill towards his family. He had spent long enough observing them from afar. It was just as well, they would have water readily available at the well.

As he jogged, the landscape around him changed and soon he found himself in the bowels of a ship. His pain turned into nausea as he was rocked violently on his legs. He stumbled and knocked into Cassandra who cursed at him and shoved him away from her. He tried to grumble an apology, but as he did so he coughed. He covered his mouth with his hand, spluttering an apology out from around it and between gasps for air as his lungs seemingly tried to expel themselves from his body through his mouth. The coughing fit made his nausea worse. He kept his hand clamped over his mouth as he scrambled around Cassandra, continuing to ram into her as the ship rocked, struggling to get to the steps he could see just beyond her. Those steps led to the deck, he knew so because he had done this what felt like a hundred times on the voyage to Haven from Kirkwall. At last he shouldered his way up to the main deck.

The sharp, salty air froze in his nostrils as he collapsed against a stone wall, and wretched up a bright blue liquid onto the snow. It steamed brilliantly as it left the warmth of his stomach and made contact with the frozen air and ground. _Lyrium…_ Cullen realized and suddenly he began to shake and shiver. His whole body vibrated from his very core to the tips of his fingers and toes. He felt himself burst into a cold sweat as he stared at the wasted Lyrium. He needed it. He needed it more than he needed air to breathe and food to eat. Without it, he would surely die. This was most unsettling. Where was he going to get more? He wasn't in the Circle anymore. He was the only Templar in Haven. There was no Lyrium supply here. Slowly. Oh, so slowly. He leaned over the stone wall and dipped two fingers into the shining blue pool. They quivered so violently that the whole pool rippled beneath his hand. He brought it back, watching the blue liquid drip from his dark leather encased fingers with intense fascination. He brought it closer to his lips—

"Commander?" A gentle voice queried from behind him. He stopped and turned his head. A girl sat atop a horse smiling down at him, the scent of cinnamon wafted to him on the light breeze that blew around them. Cullen felt his cheeks turn bright red as he hastily wiped his fingers on the inside of his cloak.

"Y-yes?" He asked in return, licking his dry, cracked lips, still thinking about the pool behind him. It was speaking to him. Telling him that there was only one way to make these painful sensations leave his quaking, desperate body, debasing though it may be. He looked away from her, back towards the pool and then back to the girl.

He was standing in the middle of a barren, burned landscape. Blackened trees were scattered haphazardly around like giant, skeletal hands clawing at the red sky. He gulped, trying to clear the itch from his throat. Where was this place? As he looked closer he noticed corpses lying about. Corpses with large, protruding red crystals growing from them like deep mushrooms grow from spider carcasses in caves. Most of the corpses had vaguely human shapes to them, but they had been twisted into an unrecognizable and monstrous form. They might never have been human in the first place. He went and knelt beside one, studying the beautifully bright red crystal clusters jabbing through mottled flesh. There was something horribly familiar about this.

Absently he scratched at his incessantly itching throat. He cleared it roughly which only had the itch worse. He stood and walked away from the corpse, pondering this landscape. He cleared his throat again, a little more forcefully. Then, he was overcome with another fit of coughing. He fell forward onto his hands and knees, his whole body giving into the lack of oxygen such a powerful set of coughs caused. He covered his mouth with one quavering hand, hoping it would allow him enough time to take a full breath. It seemed to only make things worse. He felt his hand fill with something hot and wet. He pulled it away and saw it had filled with a bright, glowing red fluid. He felt the muscles of his throat, shoulders, and back shift painfully beneath his skin. It was as if knives were growing from inside of him and breaking through. He dropped his hand to the ground and felt panic rise up and take control as he registered that his hands and wrists were starting to show the tips of the same red crystals pushing up through his skin. He looked up at the red sky, now streaked with black, and howled in agony as spikes of red Lyrium erupted from his shoulder blades only to be cut-off by the ones erupting from his throat—

Cullen woke sitting straight up in bed. His throat was raw and dry as if he had been shouting in battle, but he knew that was not the case. He had managed to scream himself hoarse in his sleep. It had been awhile since he'd had a nightmare like that. He examined his hands and patted his bare shoulders, double-checking he had not become a red Templar. He shivered; thanking the Maker he had never taken any red Lyrium during his time in the Circle. That made it easier to convince him that he was not going to become one in his waking hours. The thought had stuck with him since Haven. It was an irrational fear, but one he held deep in his heart anyway. He groaned and forced himself to lie back down. It was too early to wake, even for him. He closed his eyes and prayed for a more restful dream. When sleep proved to be an elusive mistress, he turned his thoughts to something more pleasant than his nightmares. He thought of what he was going to do that day. He thought of the things he had to accomplish, the people he needed to speak to, even what foods he would eat, and clothes he would wear… and then he thought of Elena.

The Inquisitor had sent her squadron to Emprise du lion to bolster the protection of refugees at a small town called Sahrnia. They had been having difficulties with wolf attacks and red Templars. Nothing that Elena couldn't handle. She'd been at Haven. She'd been hunting. She'd even secured the refugee settlements at Skyhold. The Inquisitor had been correct to send her. She was the most qualified for the job, but still, Cullen worried. Sahrnia was so far away. If she needed anything urgently, there was no way Skyhold and the Inquisition could help her. He sent a prayer to the Maker and Andraste to protect all those in Sahrnia.

Still feeling uneasy, Cullen got out of bed. _To hell with the hour!_ He thought as he slid down the ladder. He stopped by his dresser and pulled on some fresh breeches and a cotton shirt. His cloak went around his shoulders before he shoved his feet into his boots. He didn't even bother to lace up his shirt or comb his hair as he slipped quickly out the door and into the kitchen. He swiped a breakfast roll, richly studded with dried fruit and glazed with honey. He told the cooks good morning and thanked them as he walked by. Normally, he would have stayed and chatted over his breakfast and a mug of tea, but something deep within him told him to keep moving. Maybe it was an old instinct brought back by his nightmare, whatever it was, Cullen wasn't about to ignore it. It felt like it had right after the Breach was closed. Safe but something sinister was under the façade of relative normality.

He slid through Solas's rotunda, casting a careful eye over the dozing elf. He had never much been one for Solas. Something about his lofty, knowledgeable-beyond-mortal-ken personality put Cullen off his mettle. On the second level, the mages and Dorian were nowhere in sight. A welcome relief as walking past that many mages had always felt too much like a Circle for his comfort. As Cullen mounted the steps to the third level, he could hear raised voices. It was apparent that the speakers were attempting to keep their voices down, but only just. He continued on, that weird feeling growing in his stomach, causing the roll to feel a bit like an actual brick sitting in his gut. The Inquisitor stood with his back to Cullen, doing his best to not actually shout at the spy master.

The younger man's entire body was leaning over Leliana's table, braced by both hands against the wood, "How could we let this happen? AGAIN!" The Inquisitor demanded, tossing a piece of crumpled parchment to the floor angrily. "Tell me when you have something!" He finished, whirling around to register that Cullen had come to a complete stop at the top of the stairs. The Inquisitor's icy blue eyes locked onto Cullen's amber ones and somehow grew colder, "I'll be in the War Room. Send me my men." He barked as he brushed past Cullen and raged down the stairs. Cullen and Leliana stood in silence as the echoes of his descent and eventual exit from the tower receded.

Leliana sighed and retrieved the parchment from the floor, "Cullen," She started as she thrust the parchment into his hands unceremoniously, "I am afraid this is news that cannot wait for pleasantries."

Cullen nodded, smoothed the paper out flat and read it quickly. A lead weight dropped into his heart, pulling it into the bottom-most put of his stomach. "I am a fool." He whispered, stumbling into a chair. The parchment drifted from his open palm to the floor.

"We are all fools, it would seem. What is left for us is to fix it and quickly." Leliana waggled her head from side to side, considering her options, "Of course, it's difficult to do so currently. We don't even know where Samson is."

"How long until we know?"

"A day or two at least, my scouts are widespread and good at finding information quickly, but even they need time." Leliana placed a hand on Cullen's shoulder, leaning down to look at his face more directly, "We will find her."

Cullen paced. He had found that since he had received the news of Elena's capture by Samson he hadn't been able to do anything _but_ pace. It helped keep the agony of waiting at bay. He had made the full circuit of the battlements probably ten times that day alone and it was only just past midday. He stopped in his tower and sighed, looking around him at the same things. He went to his bookshelf and perused the titles; there were many interesting stories here. There were also informational books on past battles and great warriors and kings and the histories of Thedas. He had read most of them in his time here. It seemed, for a while that the Lyrium withdrawals were abating. Now, they seemed to be returning. His throat ached and his hands had taken on a slight palsy. Cassandra had assured him that it was just nerves caused by recent events and nothing more sinister. He moved from the book shelf to his desk and reviewed the map that lay there. He willed the map to show him where Elena was, but the parchment was just as stubborn as ever. It would not give up the secret of her location, as if it ever knew. It was just a map, after all.

He heaved a sigh and walked a clockwise circle around the desk; then, he turned and went counterclockwise. Over and over and over he walked circles around the desk. Pacing really was the only thing he could do to keep everything from crumbling in on him. Without realizing it, he stopped and opened the topmost drawer of the desk. There, nestled in amongst the bits of paper, sealing wax, extra quills, and bits of twine, sat the little wooden box with his Lyrium implements. He took it out and opened it, sitting in on top of the map. The figure of Andraste looked at him solemnly. It was almost as if she were scolding him for even entertaining the notion. That's all it was, an entertainment of his addiction. He had felt he was on the verge of fully breaking his addiction, but then moments like these happened and he doubted. He doubted every decision he had made since deciding to stop taking Lyrium.

True, stopping the use of the substance had allowed him to more fully distance himself from his Templar past and the awful decisions he had made during it.

Then again, stopping Lyrium had also caused him to be an irrational fool on more than one occasion. It had caused him to make decisions that weren't always in the best interest of his soldiers. Luckily, his men were well-trained enough that it hadn't ever mattered and it had only been in hindsight that he had noticed his recklessness.

Cullen groaned and moved away from the open box and began a larger circle around the perimeter of his room. Each time he passed the box he felt like a girl plucking petals from flowers. _Take it._ Walk. _Don't take it._ Walk. He wondered what he would finally land on. _Take it._ When he stopped walking what would happen. _Don't take it._ Where was Elena? _Take it._ What was happening to her? _Don't take it._ What was Samson doing to her? What did he want from her? What caused him to decide to take her prisoner rather than just to kill her? _Take it!_ Really, she was superfluous to him. She didn't know anything about the deeper workings of the Inquisition. The Inquisitor and his council had seen to that with a pointed precision when Cullen had originally pointed out that she was going to be a prime target for manipulation attempts. _DON'T take it._ If he were Samson and knew who Elena was, could he honestly say he wouldn't have just out-right killed her? Or wouldn't? _TAKE. IT!_ Of course, it was apparent that was going to be the eventual outcome of her imprisonment when Samson learned that she truly didn't know anything, or the Inquisitor refused to give in to any demands that Samson put forth. _DON'T. TAKE IT!_

Cullen stopped walking and looked down at the box. He thought of Elena, probably shackled and chained up somewhere, most likely being tortured for information she didn't have. He sank his head back on his neck and looked up at the ceiling. The thought of her being tortured, after being tortured himself, was too much to bear. He left the room, bursting into the sunlight on the battlements with such abruptness that he startled the sentry who stood there looking out. The emotions and memories he had just brushed against caused him to press the heels of his hands against his eyes trying to blot out the memories. It had been years since that time in Denerim, but that experience would never let him go. He could still feel every sensation on his skin, hear every sound…

Cullen let his hands drop and left the battlements. The stunning views around Skyhold held no beauty for him today. They hadn't for the past several days, in fact. He walked through the grounds, up the main stairs, and eventually found himself crossing through Josephine's study and into the War Room. Leliana stood by a window, releasing a raven into the blue sky. She turned to face him when the door banged shut.

"Ah, Cullen, you have impeccable timing." She smiled as she walked closer to him. How could she possibly smile at a time like this? She pushed a rolled message into his hand. The seal hadn't even been broken, "This should be some good news."

Cullen didn't need any encouraging, he tore the seal from the parchment and read the contents of the message quickly, "The Shrine of Dumat?" He looked at Leliana for clarification.

Leliana's eye brows furrowed briefly before she went to the map. She surveyed it briefly, her fingers tracing along borders and boundaries until she stopped and jabbed one of her raven markers into a spot with certainty, "It is an old Tevinter temple dedicated to the Old God Dumat. Dorian tells me that it is rumored that Corypheus was once a high-priest of Dumat. I cannot believe it took so long for me to make the connection." She shook her head and moved away from the table, "I must go inform the Inquisitor." She explained as she left the War Room.

Cullen stayed where she had left him, looking at the spot on the map. Wondering how long it would take to travel there. They had good horses thanks to Master Dennet. If they traveled light, brought only the bare essentials, then, perhaps they could make it in a day or two. It was a relief to know _where_ Elena was. Now, they could actually _do_ something. Cullen felt his face contort into a wry smile, now he had a better understanding of why Elena hated to stay at Skyhold while everyone else went off and, as she so deftly put it, _did_ things. His internal reverie was interrupted by the Inquisitor bursting through the door. Blackwall, the Iron Bull, and Dorian rushed in after him. Everyone was talking at once. The Inquisitor stopped in front of the War Table.

"Where is the Shrine of Dumat?" He asked curtly. Cullen pointed to the raven marker. "How long will it take us to get there?"

"If we pack lightly, it shouldn't take much more than a day, maybe two." Cullen replied, noting the wild gleam in the Inquisitor's blue eyes. He found that giving this small direction helped to settle him. He rested his hands on the pommel of his sword confidently. It was nice to have a plan, however small it was at the moment.

The Inquisitor studied the map carefully. "Dorian, what can you tell us about this shrine? Isn't Dumat one of your ancient gods?"

"He's not one of _my_ gods, but if you mean he's an ancient god from Tevinter, then you'd be correct. I don't know much about the shrine, but I do know Dumat is called the Dragon of Silence and was the archdemon that brought about the First Blight. People believe he is still alive in some form because he still has a few worshippers who claim to have their prayers answered by him. There's no telling what's actually happening there. If Corypheus really is a high-priest of Dumat, we could be walking into the lion's den." Dorian rattled off in his most informative tone. Cullen realized, not for the first time, that the mage was an excellent scholar and was a veritable fount of information on all things Tevinter and magic. "Don't look so shocked, Commander, it's not like all I do in my free time is drink and play Wicked Grace. I actually _read,_ you know."

"Dorian, don't bait the Commander." Blackwall admonished, "We don't have time for that."

Before Dorian could respond to Blackwall, the Inquisitor pounded a fist against the table causing everyone to focus on him, "Please, let's just get a plan together and _go_." His voice cracked unsteadily on the word 'go.' Everyone seemed to realize that the Inquisitor was getting dangerously close to cracking himself. They stopped any extraneous discussions. Quickly, they formed a plan. They were going to have Leliana's scout continue gathering information as they traveled. Once they got within an hour's ride from the shrine they would meet with the scout and form a more solid plan. In the meantime, they would have to content themselves with simply travelling in the correct direction. They put their affairs in order for the duration of their absence and were galloping through the final gate by dusk. As the air whipped against him, Cullen could feel the anxious energy he had been carrying around with him since the initial news evaporate almost entirely. The nagging need for the release a draught of Lyrium would give him still plagued the back of his mind, but it was manageable. He hoped that the closer they grew to Elena, the less it would prey on his thoughts. He hoped for a great deal more, to be honest. He sent a thousandth prayer to the Maker for the safety of Elena and that their mission would be swiftly and successfully carried out—for all their sakes.

 **Author's Note: All right, so next time on Game of Thrones- No, I'm kidding. Anyway, we will be back to our regularly scheduled program next chapter. :0 Thanks for reading! Love you guys! Peace and blessings! -Danbambina**


	18. The Rescue

**Author's Note: ENJOY! Happy Summer!**

 **Shout out and thanks to my new follower/favorite-er NightrainRose! Also, shout out and thank to DADestined for favoriting the story! I'm glad you guys are enjoying it as much as I am!**

 **And continued thanks to everyone else who is reading!**

 **Chapter 18**

Elena lay curled into a corner of her stone cell, nursing her injuries. The past several days had been arduous. She had been questioned thoroughly about the honestly knew very little about the Inquisition and whenever she had answered to that effect, she had been met with pain. They had started with simple slaps which then progressed into brutal beatings. After those proved unsuccessful in teaching her new information, they had moved into more creative methods. Elena took a breath and wrapped her arms tighter around her aching ribs, trying to support them. She was pretty sure they had broken a couple of them. Being captured in the Fallow Mire hadn't been an exciting time, but this was literally torturous. She spent her days waiting in the cell for the knights to come and restrain her so Samson could question and torture her. It was agonizing to sit and attempt to nurse her wounds only to have someone tear them back open or cause them to worsen.

The door to her cell opened, the tearing sound of metal shrieking against metal crashed against her ears like cats fighting. She recoiled away from it and let out an audible gasp as her sudden movement jerked her injuries harshly. The knights entered first, lifting her unceremoniously by her under arms and shackling her against the wall, arms suspended above her head. She stood on her feet, trying not to worsen the blisters around her wrists. She kept her eyes pinned to the ground, refusing to acknowledge the presence of the knights. Samson strode in front of her and lifted her face to his with a mockingly gentle touch of her chin.

"There now, my lady, aren't you happy to see me?" he queried, his voice a soft and dangerous purr in the close air of the cell.

Elena stared stonily back at him, "It is always nice when you visit."

He laughed, dropping his hand, "I'm glad you haven't lost your sense of humor. We will see if it lasts through today. I've a special treat for you." He snapped his fingers and one of the knights plopped a leather pouch into Samson's outstretched hand. He reached inside and pulled out a handful of some fine, red-black powder, "Do you know what this is? Hmm? It's powdered blood lotus, very difficult to find." He let the grains sift through his fingers back into the pouch in an almost loving manner, a wicked smirk spreading across his pallid features. He picked up another handful and let it run through his fingers as he continued, "I wonder what you'll see."

"See?" Elena's voice wavered slightly.

Samson nodded, picking up another handful which he kept in his hand, "Oh yes, it causes the most violent hallucinations if a high enough dosage is inhaled. One time, I witnessed a man try to chew his own hand off because he saw bugs burrowing under his skin. The screams were… memorable." Her eyes widened as Samson snaked one hand out and grasped the back of her head, twisting his fingers into her black hair, "Such a pity you won't tell us anything. I'd hate to drive such a beautiful creature mad." He leaned his face down to hers, she felt his breath leak over her skin. "All you have to do is tell me what I want to know and you can avoid all of this."

She swallowed hard, eyeing Samson's palm full of powder warily, "What do you want to know?"

"How does your Inquisitor get his information?"

That was an easy one. She'd answered it several times already, "The same way your master does. He uses spies."

"Who are his spies?"

This question was something she had never learned, "I don't know." She whispered, bracing herself for the inevitable.

"Lies!" Samson's hand opened and he smashed it onto her face, covering her nose and mouth with the powder. He clamped his hand tightly on her chin, forcing her to breathe through just her nose. Elena's eyes watered and she spluttered against his grip as she inhaled the powder into what felt like her very lungs. Samson removed his hand and wiped the remaining powder from his gloved hands. "What are the names of the Inquisition's spies?"

Elena coughed, and blinked rapidly, trying to clear her eyes and airways. When she wasn't quick enough with her answer, Samson lashed out, landing a hard hit on her stomach. She convulsed over his fist and coughed more violently. "I don't know!" She choked out.

"You know, and you will tell me!" Samson hissed, digging another palm full of the powder out before holding it over her mouth and nose again. This time, he didn't pull his hand away so quickly. Elena was ready and held her breath. Samson realized what was happening and stepped on the instep of her foot, causing her to breathe in in pain. "Tell me!" he demanded. She shook her head, she really didn't know! He let out a groan of frustration and pulled a knife from his belt. "If you don't tell me, I swear to the Maker that I will slit your throat here and now and be done with this charade." He pressed the tip of the knife against her throat. Elena could feel her blood begin to trickle down her neck. She gulped nervously. He pressed the knife a little harder and drug it a little ways across her skin. She didn't respond. There was nothing to say. Samson gnashed his teeth together and was about to follow through with his threat when the door burst open.

"My lord, Samson." Maddox's strange voice floated over with as much urgency as a Tranquil could muster, stopping Samson.

"What is it now?" Samson asked, obviously irritated that none of his tricks had worked and he had been interrupted in disposing of Elena's inconvenient existence.

"The Inquisitor has been spotted nearby. What would you have me do?"

He looked at Elena and rubbed his chin, knife still in-hand. "Let's make sure there's nothing for him to find here. Burn it." He turned to leave, motioning to the knights to follow him. Elena stood, shackled to the wall, and waited to see what would become of her. She was beginning to feel strange. The ache in her stomach and sides had been pushed to the back of her mind as this new feeling took over. The world warped slightly at the edges of her vision.

"Sir, what about the prisoner?" Maddox asked as Samson came level with him. Was Maddox really that tall? And wobbly? Elena's head began to feel fuzzy. She looked at her hands draping out of the shackles and grimaced. Why did her skin feel like it was boiling beneath the metal? Who had heated it up? How had she not noticed the brilliant red of the blazing metal? She began to feel panic claw at her throat. If someone didn't get her out of these shackles her hands were going to be boiled off at the wrist!

"Her? Leave her here to burn along with it all." Samson said, clapping Maddox on the shoulder, "You'll do what's necessary." The door closed with a final shriek of protest behind them. Didn't they realize she was in danger! Didn't they care? She called out to them, listening to their footsteps recede in the echoing lower levels. She screamed for help, but all she heard was the eerie sound of someone else screaming for help. She shouted over their cries, determined to be heard first. To be helped first. Her feet were on fire now, too! Soon she would be standing on nothing but her ankles, and then what? She was being devoured by fire like a log, the flames working their ways from her outermost appendages slowly to her core. She was going to die… and she didn't want to.

Erik groaned as he, his companions, and Cullen burst into the Shrine of Dumat from the courtyard. Someone had done their best to bring the ancient structure down, large chunks of stone lay scattered around, burning in puddles of dark, smelly oil. He looked to Dorian. The mage's face was as grim as Erik's heart felt. Three Red Templars came charging at them from the back of the main entrance, their war cries preceding them. Erik fired an arrow straight through the eye-slit of one of the advancing knights, sending him to the ground ruthlessly. Blackwall and Iron Bull rushed forward with Cullen to lock the other two in combat. Dorian cast spells rapidly, sending shocks of lightning arching between the two knights and even partially freezing one of them. Erik continued to rain arrows down on the attackers, but had difficulty picking his shot with three large warriors blocking his view. He strafed around, trying to flank them, but before he was able to, the three swordsmen defeated their enemies.

With the dying breath of the last Templar the shrine fell into silence. _Fitting._ Erik thought as they walked through the vast, alabaster hall, skirting the pools of flame. They found some listening crystals that Corypheus had used. Dorian slid them into his satchel after they listened to the information stored in them. "It seems Corypheus is questioning his faith in Dumat." Erik mused as they explored the shrine more.

"It would appear so." Dorian agreed, twirling his mustache, "That bit about calling out to Dumat and the silence that followed was especially interesting."

"Some ancient god didn't answer his crazy-ass ancient worshipper? I'd say that's a good thing." Iron Bull commented, picking through a pile of rubble with the toe of his boot.

"Well, obviously it's good! We don't want Corypheus to gain any _new_ abilities while he's trying to conquer all of Thedas!" Dorian bristled, "It's just that the legends all say that Dumat tends to be the most giving of all the old gods in terms of answering prayers. For him to fall silent and ignore the requests of his high priest… that says something profound, doesn't it?"

"Dumat was the old god that brought about the First Blight. I agree with the Bull. Let's not look this gift horse in the mouth." Blackwall grunted.

"Can we _please_ get back to work? Anything we learn that's extra is wonderful, but we're here to find my sister." Erik snapped, pushing open the back-most door. Behind it was another room set alight. This room differed from the hall they had just left in that it was filled with gigantic red Lyrium crystals. The spires of red material jutted from the floor like grotesque stalagmites. The Templar symbol was displayed almost mockingly on heraldry hung from the blades of crimson mineral. As they walked deeper into the room, Erik spun to see everything. The old, ebony Tevinter decorations were still in place, hidden amongst the Lyrium and Templar trappings. At the back of the room, leaning against the base of one such decoration, lay a man. He and Cullen both rushed to the man.

"Hello, Inquisitor." The man said in a strangely calm and almost cheerful voice from his position on the floor.

"You know me?" Erik asked, feeling a little more than apprehensive. Usually when he met someone knew but they already knew him it ended badly.

Cullen knelt and stated in a hushed voice, "It's Maddox. Samson's Tranquil. Something's wrong. I'll send for the healers—" He glanced between Erik and Maddox, nodding authoritatively. Erik felt the motion added a "don't worry" quality to the brief statement. _Nice touch._

"That would be a waste, Knight-Captain Cullen." Maddox replied still in that same cool voice. "I drank my entire supply of blightcap essence. It won't be long now."

"You didn't have to poison yourself. We wouldn't have hurt you. We just wanted to ask you some questions." Erik admitted casting around for possible solutions to this problem. There were no apparent ways to stop the poison from spreading. He brought his eyes back to Maddox's and focused on what the Tranquil was saying.

"Yes. That is what I could not allow. I destroyed the camp with fire. We all agreed it was best. Our deaths ensured Samson had time to escape." Maddox explained it so calmly it seemed completely logical for all it was pure madness.

Cullen shook his head in disbelief, "You threw your lives away? For _Samson_? _Why_?"

Maddox turned to face the Commander and replied just as simply, "Samson saved me even before he needed me. He gave me purpose again. I… wanted to help…" With his last words Maddox's head tilted forward onto his chest and the Tranquil was gone. It was all Erik could do not to kick the bastard's body in frustration.

Erik let out a groan, holding his head in both hands and tilting it back, "I can't believe we've come all this way to rescue my sister and find out more about Samson and the _one person_ who could have helped us went and poisoned himself!" He kicked a chunk of Lyrium across the room. It shattered against the opposite wall, sending shards of Lyrium flying outwards.

Cullen's voice cut into Erik's dark thoughts, "We should check the camp. Maddox may have missed something."

"The Commander's right, there may be some information lying around we can use." Iron Bull added slapping Erik's shoulders encouragingly sending the Inquisitor forward a couple of steps. They spread out around the room picking through the items left behind and untouched by the flames carefully.

After a few minutes Cullen piped up from his spot by a desk in the middle of the room, "Samson's left a message. For me."

"What does it say?" Erik asked, walking over to stand next to the Commander.

"'Drink enough Lyrium and its song reveals the truth. The Chantry used us. You are fighting the wrong battle. Corypheus chose me as his General and as his Vessel of power…' and other such nonsense. Does he think I'll understand? What does he know?" Cullen obliged, musing over the words. He shook his head and pocketed the note. "I'll give this to Leliana perhaps she can make sense of it." Next they found a pile of Lyrium bottles that had been licked clean. They all marveled at the amount of Lyrium Samson came into contact with each day and how high his resistance to the substance must be. Then, they found notes on Samson's unique armor and the tools Maddox had used to create and maintain it. They decided to take the tools back to Skyhold to see if Dagna could possibly use them to create something to break Samson's armor or at least weaken it when the time came.

"That seems to be everything." Blackwall sighed pushing a piece of rubble gently with his foot.

Erik shook his head, "That can't be everything. There's got to be a level we haven't seen yet… or _something_!" He jogged back down the length of the room and up the small flight of stairs at the back. Everyone followed behind him, telling him they had already searched there and found nothing. The only one who didn't join in the convincing was Cullen who looked anxiously in the dark corners as well. He pushed on a torch bracket and let out a startled sound as the wall in front of him slid open revealing a staircase that wound downwards and out of sight.

"Fascinating! A hidden passage! You really only ever read about these things, you know, and to think! Here we've found one in the Shrine of Dumat of all places." Dorian enthused, peeking over Erik's shoulders, "Hang on, I can get us a mage light going in a tick." He snapped his fingers and a ghostly blue light floated out from his hand and down the passageway, "Inquisitors first."

Elena groaned. Breathing was agonizing as the cold air of the cell whistled through her enflamed throat. She felt as if she had screamed every ounce of her soul from her body. It had made her weak. The blood lotus had done its job, convincing her that she was literally on fire even as Samson had closed the door behind him. She had felt the flames inside her body as well as outside. They had been so real. She could still see them; still feel their heat as they licked at her. She shuddered, leaning against her shackles fully, hoping to break them from the wall. The metal cut into her wrists cruelly, causing the delicate skin to tear and bleed. Even her blood felt molten hot as it trickled down her forearms from beneath the restraints. She whimpered as the door shrieked open, feeling the sound reverberate around the empty spaces inside her skull. A blue light filled the cell, replacing the fire with ice. She let out a sigh of relief as the icy light quenched the flames from her vision and body. She closed her eyes, thankful for the brief respite it gave her. The next thing she knew one hand had been released from the unique torture of her shackles. It dropped limply to her side, shortly followed by the other. She swayed on her feet and opened her eyes to see five Templars in the room with her.

"Did Samson change his mind?" She asked the nearest one, bumping into him.

He steadied her, "Lane, it's me. It's Erik." He told her in a voice not wholly unlike her brother's.

She scoffed, "Sure, and I'm Empress Celine."

"Really, my lady, it's us. We've come to rescue you." This Templar sounded suspiciously like Warden Blackwall.

"Elena, who do you think we are?" The Templar who sounded like her brother asked quietly.

Elena shrugged, "All you Templars look the same to me."

The five Templars looked at each other and then back at her. The Erik-Templar brought his face close to hers. He stared at her through the slit in his helmet. Elena leaned back slightly trying to avoid his scrutiny. At length, he shrugged his shoulders, "We can figure this out once we make camp. Clearly, she is not in her right mind." The Erik-Templar gripped her upper arm loosely and guided her towards the entrance where the other four Templars stood waiting. The five Templars and Elena made their way quickly out of the Shrine of Dumat. Little was said between them as they travelled through the ruined temple. Elena balked as the Erik-Templar who was guiding her lifted her onto his horse before swinging up behind her in the saddle. His arms settled around her as he picked up the reins.

"You're going to take me back to Samson…." She mumbled, gripping the horse's mane in her hands. The warmth of the animal seeped into her skin comfortingly as they cantered away from the Shrine of Dumat.

"No." He reassured her. "We can discuss this later." Elena fell silent as they rode. She really wasn't up to much conversation as the world flicked past her with the rhythmic thudding of the horse's hooves. Actually, the warmth from the animal and the Templar behind her was fast becoming unbearably hot. She squirmed in her seat and tried to distance herself from the man behind her. Unfortunately, the situation she was in made that physically impossible.

"Please, I need to get down." She told him, swallowing hard as the heat began to build again. The Templar pulled up his horse and she slithered to the ground, stumbling and falling to her hands and knees. The very ground beneath her felt as if it were boiling, or was that her blood again? She shook her head, closing her eyes tightly, trying to shake the feeling from her mind. She knew it was the Blood Lotus still enacting its terrible machinations on her brain, but that didn't cause her any relief.

One Templar lifted her face, "What did they give you?" He asked, his voice an urgent whisper.

"Dried Blood Lotus root…" She responded hoarsely, jerking her face from his hand. She heard some hushed arguments and then the Templar had his hands on either side of her face, tilting it up again, "What're you doing?" She asked trying to get her face free again.

"Fixing this." He told her simply. "This isn't going to be comfortable. I'm sorry."

"What-?" Elena's question was cut off as a bolt of lightning jolted through her skull. She felt her whole body convulse and from somewhere far from herself she heard shouts of alarm and an agonized screech. The electricity rattled through her entire being blotting out all else. Then, just as quickly as it had begun it stopped. She blinked at the Templar who held her face in his hands, trying to clear her now-blurry vision. At last he came into focus and she found herself looking at a familiar face. "Dorian!" She cried, flinging her arms around his neck.

Dorian extricated himself from her grasp and stood, "Yes, well, I'm glad to see you at least recognize us now." He helped her to her feet and turned her around, an odd expression on his face.

Elena's eyes widened as she took in the men who stood before her. Her lips trembled and she gripped at her heart. "You—you all came—"She started before she became a complete mess of tears. Erik and Cullen rushed her, wrapping her in their arms, squeezing her between their broad chests tightly. She stood there, crushed by them while the other three stood nearby, offering her pats on the back. Everyone told her comforting and welcoming things that she could hardly hear over her own words of gratitude and relief. After some time, they let her go and her tears slowed to a stop. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffed hard. Everyone stood in silence, unsure of what to say next.

Cullen took charge and mounted his horse, he leaned down and reached for Elena, "Come on, Elena, let's get you home." Cullen pulled his horse up beside her and bent to help lift her onto the animal's back. Elena gripped his forearm. Erik stepped behind her and cupped his hands to give her a boost into the saddle. Working together, they managed to get her up behind Cullen's saddle. She twined her hands around his waist and rested her face against his furred mantle.

She looked down at her brother and sighed, "Yes, let's go home."

 **Author's Note: I hope you had fun reading this! It was fun to write! I hope everyone's summer vacations have been fun and relaxing! -Danbamina**


	19. Elena Convalesces

**Author's Note: HELLLLOOOO NEW YORK! Well, we're not in New York, but some of you might be... ANYWAY! Nice to see everyone again! Hi. How are ya? I am sorry for the long wait, we had some family issues pop up very suddenly and then school started again (teacher life is SO busy). FINALLY things are settling back down and I was able to finish this puppy up for ya.**

 **THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK THANK YOU THANK YOU! To my new follower: Ayrah and my new Favorites: daphanie and hopelessromantic34! Even with the long wait it was good to see and hear from you guys! I love you all and thank you all for your continued support in this (what is quickly becoming massive) endeavor of mine!**

 **Without further ado, ENJOY!**

 **Chapter 19**

Elena winced as Healer Varmont tightened her new set of bandages around her ribs. The old man smiled sympathetically, swiftly tying a knot. Healer Varmont was nice to have around because he never asked questions like "How on Earth did you manage to get all the way back here and not die?" The truth was, Elena had absolutely no idea how she had managed a full ride home on the back of a horse with the amount of injuries she had had. Healer Varmont had chalked it up to her brain simply refusing to process the pain or something equally as vague. How should he know? He wasn't the Maker. Erik had vaguely suggested that Dorian had something to do with it as it did seem to be a feat that only magic or a miracle could explain and, since miracles were in short supply where Elena was concerned, they had both been inclined to believe the former. When she had confronted the mage about it so that she might thank him for the mercy, he had been adamant that he lacked the necessary skills to do so. After all, he had told her, he was an accomplished necromancer, not a healer. Elena felt he was just embarrassed by his own kindness and so he was loath to admit to it. Cullen thought that this was all far too confusing and told her to just leave well-enough alone and be thankful for the "miracle" she had received.

Healer Varmont stepped back and asked her to perform her stretching exercises, watching her critically as she completed the twists and bends. "Well, it appears you are healing a _bit_ faster than I originally expected." He told her in a calm voice, "You should be able to return to your normal duties much sooner. Push your arms further out, please."

Elena hissed as she pressed her arms farther away from her, pulling the muscles across her shoulder blades, "Do you know when that will be?"

Varmont shrugged, "No. It is hard to say… could be anywhere between seven to fourteen weeks." He turned at the sound of the arrival of another patient, "Ah, Darnellus, what have you done _this_ time? My lady, you must excuse me. I will see you in the morning. Don't forget your night exercises and your medicine." He plunked a bottle of the noxious substance into her hand and bustled off to attend to Darnellus who was hopping on one foot towards a bed.

Elena stood and shook herself lightly, thankful to get out of the infirmary. It wasn't necessarily the worst place to be with the light smell of lavender and soap lingering about, and the gentle sounds of healers soothing their patients, but Elena found herself less inclined to small, darkened spaces with few windows as of late. As she stepped out into the sunlight of the new day she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. _What a relief._

She turned towards the sparring grounds that Erik had constructed in the main courtyard recently. One man was leaning on the wooden rails, cajoling another into stepping into the ring with him. The second man reluctantly stepped inside and they began. Enviously she looked on, thinking about what she would do if she were fighting there. The second man was a strong defender, but he was slow with his attacks, though when he did land a blow against his opponent's shield the sound rang through the air like a bell. The first man had little stamina and was already showing signs of wear as his attacks became less powerful and quick. This would be the time for the second man to begin an offensive… _There he goes._ The second man stepped from behind his shield, parried a thrust, and maneuvered the blade from his opponent's grasp. The first man dropped his shield and yielded the fight.

"How do you think they're coming along?" Cullen asked, coming to a stop beside her and watching his soldiers shake each other's hands.

Elena started at his sudden arrival, "O-oh, they're both pretty good. They'd do well in battle, I think."

Cullen nodded, "That's what I train them for. How was the infirmary?"

"Slightly less painful today than yesterday."

"That's good news. You're healing." Elena grunted derisively, "Not quick enough for you, though?"

"No." She moved off, heading towards the battlements for a circuit in the breeze. Cullen followed her. He had been staying as close as he could since they had arrived back at Skyhold. He had carried her into the infirmary himself and hadn't left her side until she was able to fully walk about without assistance. Whenever his duties called him away Erik or one of her friends would come to replace him. If she had to be honest with herself, it was rather trying having to make small-talk with them all when all she really wanted was to be alone to sit against a merlon and feel the sun and wind on her face. She needed to breathe and process everything that had happened to her. Finding herself out of breath, she stopped climbing the stairs to the battlements and leaned against the stone railing.

Cullen stopped just below her and looked carefully into her face, "I know you don't want help, but you do look like you need it…" He offered gently, extending his arms to her.

Elena shook her head stubbornly, "I'm not an invalid. I can climb stairs by myself." She snapped at him, turning and mounting a few more steps to prove her point. She stopped again and looked at the interior lay-out of Skyhold. It was an attractively arranged fortress, using the natural rise and fall of the mountain top to enhance its fortifications. She took a deep breath and climbed the rest of the stairs, hearing Cullen's armor clanking gently behind her. To be fair, while she wanted to be alone, his presence wasn't wholly unwanted. It was rather comforting having him around, knowing he wrestled with similar feelings at times. Cullen was perhaps the only person she could possibly confide in about her inner struggles, but every time he caught her crying and asked about _that time_ she would pull herself together and put on a brave face, quipping something about him being more worrisome than a nanny goat or the like. They came to a stop again, looking down this time at the settlements spread on either side of the river below them. The Inquisition had grown to be an immense force and she couldn't help but be proud of her small part in setting up the beginnings of the infrastructure that housed the larger portion of their troops and the refugees who flocked to the mountains for safety… _Am I refugee or a soldier now?_

"It's a beautiful day." Cullen said, resting his forearms on the wall and looking out over the settlements with her.

"It really is…." Elena replied, "Do you think we'll ever be done with this awkward small-talk or am I doomed to nothing but trivial conversations now?" She asked abruptly, turning to face him fully.

He looked at her and quirked an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Elena threw up her hands in exasperation, "All anyone ever wants to talk to me about is the weather or the people around us or what I'm wearing! Do you know how exhausting it is to be told 'it's nice weather out today' by yours _friends_! I'm not going to break in half if someone wants to have an actual conversation with me, you know!"

Cullen blinked at her, taken aback, "Elena… what're you talking about? We've tried to speak to you, but you don't really give us much to work with." He explained calmly, reaching for her hand, "We figured you'd speak to us when you were ready."

She jerked her hand away, "Sweet Maker! I've been speaking to everyone. I carried on a whole conversation with Reeves yesterday about the way Healer Varmont ties my bandages for Andraste's sake! And this morning Marston prattled on about his new axe the entire time we were walking to the infirmary. It's infuriating! Why can't everyone speak to me like you are now!?"

"I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that particular question."

"Well, why not?"

"Because I do not have the ability to hear people's thoughts." Cullen quipped, turning back to the scenery.

"You should. It would be helpful." Elena pouted.

"I think it would be more helpful to a person like Leliana." He teased gently. "Are you hungry? I haven't eaten all day…."

XXXXXXX

 _Elena looked into Samson's pallid, haggard face as he loomed above her. His ten-foot height dwarfed her as he closed in on her, a wicked red-black mist surrounding him ominously. He jabbed a finger down at her, pushing her onto her bottom. She found herself shrinking as she scooted farther away from him. He leered and pulled out a knife with a crooked, black blade. She dodged the jabbing stabs that he directed at her, feeling the knife catch in her clothes and tear them. Soon, she was wearing ribbons and running across an open field, tripping every time she looked back. Though she ran as fast as she could, she couldn't stop falling and Samson never stopped walking._

 _He finally caught her up in one massive fist, and he brought her close to his face. "I hope you still love me." Samson whispered, squeezing her tightly, "Say you love me. After all, you're just like me now."_

 _Elena shrieked and bit into the finger closest to her face. Samson dropped her. She fell into a puddle. She looked down at her own, scared reflection but didn't see her face. Instead, she saw his face staring back up at her. She thrust her hands up and found them covered in black gauntlets. She panicked, noting the red chunks of Lyrium that stuck out from her chest plate and pauldrons. She back-pedaled away from Samson, only to find herself in a room filled with mirrors and surrounded by him on all sides._

 _He stuck his head around one of the mirror's frames, "You can't escape what you are." He cackled at her, stepping out and embracing her. Elena screamed in protest, twisting violently to get away from him—_

"ELENA!" Her eyes jerked open to see Erik's concerned face hovering over her bed. The sheets were twisted about her tightly and the window was closed in her small bed chamber. She looked at him frantically, "Hold on, let me help." Erik loosened the bedclothes until she could sit upright again.

"Window, please." She breathed, clutching at her bandaged chest. Her injuries ached like she had just been hit with a stick. Erik obliged and opened the window, letting some crisp night air into the confined room. She immediately began to feel better. "I'm sorry I woke you."

Erik made a dismissive gesture, "You didn't wake me. Reeves did."

"Reeves?"

"Yeah, she said you were… oh, how did she phrase it? Ah! She said you were restless enough to wake the dead themselves.'" Erik shrugged, "She's got a flair for the dramatic, doesn't she?"

Thinking about the dream she was having, she wasn't so sure Reeves had exaggerated. "I wouldn't say that."

"Want to tell me about it?" Elena shook her head, "Let me rephrase. You caused Reeves to come pull me from Dorian's bed. You're going to tell me why. I like it there."

Elena shot him a withering look and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Do I really have to?"

"I'll have you put in the infirmary at night if you don't." Erik threatened softly coming to sit beside her. While his tone was gentle, Elena knew that disturbing his time with Dorian was something he would not appreciate happening more than once without an explanation.

"It was a nightmare about Samson… He said that I'm like him now. And then I turned into him." Erik was silent for a long moment. "It's stupid, I know." Elena added as the silence continued to stretch.

"I'm not good at interpreting dreams. Perhaps you should tell Solas about this…?"

"Solas?!"

Erik heaved a sigh, "Well, he is skilled in dreaming. He might have an insight into why you're plagued by the thought that you're like Samson. You aren't anything like him at all, you know."

Elena nodded, resting her head on her brother's shoulder, "I know. Last night I dreamt I was being chased by Templars who threw fire balls at me. They caught me and… that's when I woke up."

"Do you have nightmares every night?"

"More often than not these days."

"Shit, Lane, why didn't you tell anyone?" Erik turned and grasped her by the shoulders gently, moving so he was kneeling before her. He looked up into her face, clearly deeply worried, "We can get you dreamless sleep potions."

"I don't want them." Elena stated simply, "I've been through hell. That's not something I want to just sweep under the rug and ignore."

"I'm not saying ignore everything. I'm saying getting a good rest is better than _this_."

"No, thank you. I think… I think I need to be restless for a while. You wouldn't understand." She looked away from him at the night sky visible through the window. All she wanted right now was for him to go away.

Erik must have sensed what she wanted because he groaned and got up, "I'd like to try and understand, but I can tell you're not ready for that." He ran a hand over his hair and gave her an encouraging smile, "Are you going to be all right now?"

"Yes, you can go back to Dorian. Please, tell him I'm sorry I disturbed your… 'rest.'" Using her fingers she put quotation marks around the last word, waggling her eyebrows at Erik suggestively.

Erik blushed, and refused to meet her gaze, biting at his lower lip, "Yeah, well, it's nice to see you're starting to tease me again." He looked down at her and smiled, "Maker knows it's been too long since we've exchanged that kind of banter."

Elena gave him an innocent look. "Banter? Are you telling me you weren't resting when Reeves came to find you?"

Erik threw his hands up in a 'w' shape, "You'll never know…." He turned and left the room, closing the door with a gentle click. Elena waited a moment before getting out of bed. She carefully eased a pair of soft black leggings over her legs, wincing as she bent and her injuries protested. She paused, breathing deeply for several minutes before slipping her arms into the sleeves of her favorite pale blue shirt. This was also made difficult as her injuries protested this movement more strongly than the other ones. She stopped when it got to her elbows, biting her lips to keep from crying out. Steeling herself, she clenched her teeth and shrugged it the rest of the way up to her shoulders. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and laced up the front of the shirt to just above her breast band, leaving the ends of the strings hanging loose. She stood and slipped quietly from her room.

The night air was crisp and refreshing as she made her way carefully down the stairs to the garden. She passed through the middle of it, relishing the feel of the wet grass on her feet. She eased into the Great Hall. Across from her, next to the smoldering hearth, Varric sat in a chair, slumped over a pile of parchment, a quill dangling from one hand while he snored gently. Elena covered her mouth, stifling a giggle as she tip toed past him and into Solas's rotunda. The elf was awake and painting. He glanced at her quizzically, but didn't say anything as she waved at him on her way past. He lifted the paintbrush he was holding in recognition of her greeting and turned back to his work. Outside again she faced Cullen's tower and swallowed. She wiggled her toes on the stones of the walkway, suddenly nervous. _What am I doing? Why did I come here?_ Even as she questioned herself, she started across the bridge. _There are too many stairs in Skyhold_. She grumbled as she carefully walked up the few steps to the door.

Opening it she found his tower to be darkened, unusual since he struggled with sleep more than she did and had done so for far longer. She could hear him snoring gently from the loft above her head. She eyed the ladder, her gaze sliding up from the stone floor the opening high above her head. _That… might not be a good idea._ She laid a hand on the smooth wood of the ladder, still considering climbing it. She gave up on the idea when she tried climbing a few rungs, but found it to be a painful experience. She went and sat in the chair behind his desk instead. She propped her bare feet up on the desk, gently pushing aside bits of parchment and listening to the gentle clack of ink bottles as they knocked into each other. In the dark room the noise seemed much louder than it was. She paused, listening to see if there was any disturbance in the sound of Cullen's snores. The only difference was now they were gone. She heard the rustle of sheets and the creak of the bed as he shifted around above her.

If Elena was being honest with herself, this was a rather strange situation for her to be in. She didn't really know _why_ she was here beyond a general gut feeling of needing to be close to Cullen. It felt safer in the drafty tower than in her room above the garden. She settled her body more comfortably in the chair and waited for sleep to find her. It was difficult at first, the wind whistled through the tower at odd times, chilling her. The chair, while nicely padded, wasn't the most comfortable as it was hardly sat in. However, sleep did find her eventually. She was woken by Cullen's hands shaking her shoulders.

"Elena, what're you doing here?" He asked, bringing his face close to hers and peering into her eyes worried.

Elena scrubbed at her face with both hands, blearily taking in her surroundings. It had gotten brighter, but not much since she had drifted off, "What—what time is it?"

Cullen stood and squinted out of his window, "A couple of hours before dawn. Why are you in my chambers so early?" He repeated a little impatiently, "Did something happen?"

Elena reached out and grasped his hand, for once it wasn't gloved, and whispered "I had a bad dream. I couldn't go back to sleep so I came here to see if you were awake. You weren't and I didn't want to walk all the way back to my room, so I settled back down in this chair."

Cullen's eyes softened around the corners, "What kind of dream drives you from your bed to mine?"

Elena dropped his hand and stood up, turning her face so he wouldn't see her wince at the pain the sudden movement caused her stiff body, "Oh, it wasn't much. I—I just can't seem to go back to sleep once I wake up lately." She waved him off as he tried to grasp onto her shoulder, "It's really fine." She began to peruse his bookshelves, effectively changing the subject by pulling out a tome titled _The Ferelden Stallion_. She held it up, pointing to it with a gleeful smile, "What's _this_ book doing here?" She had read it herself one night in Ostwick. A serving girl had lent it to her. She had blushed at the details contained within it as she sat curled in a chair near the hearth in her father's study.

Cullen became visibly uncomfortable and went to his dresser, tugging open drawers and pulling out items, "Oh. I—I— accidently picked that up thinking it was about horse— breeding."

Elena followed him, holding the book out before her with both hands, "But, you _kept_ it in here. After the first paragraph _surely_ you knew…"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I haven't read it and I don't plan to _now._ "

Elena thought carefully, and decided to give it up. He obviously wasn't going to admit that he had read a romantic novel, "What're you doing today?" She set the book down on his dresser-top.

"I'm going to the War Room to discuss our next battle. We are going into the Arbor Wilds to a place called… what was it? Something Elven… I was always bad at Elven, you know. It's a beautiful language, but my tongue just can't seem to manage it." He stopped dressing and stood, hands on bare hips, tapping his foot trying to dredge up the name through sheer force of will. "Oh blast it all! It doesn't really matter." He slid his feet into his boots before lacing on his greaves. Elena rolled her eyes and watched as Cullen finished putting on his armor. The process was involved, but he managed it quite well alone. He did hold out his wrist for her to tighten his bracers again though. "It's always nice to have some help with this part." He explained as she tied the last knot. "Care for some breakfast?"

XXXXXXXX

Healer Varmont was not pleased when he saw Elena that morning after breakfast. He commented that she had the most atrocious coloring he had seen since her initial arrival. He tugged and prodded her body, checking her healing progress. He tutted at her and scolded her for not completing her exercises the previous night. Healer Varmont was the shrewdest and best healer the Inquisition had to offer, but being in high demand kept him from following his more willful patients as closely as he would have liked. Elena was particularly bad about listening to him, promising to do what he said, and then conveniently forgetting to follow instructions. She had always been this way, but Adrian had kept her from completely disregarding medical orders. He wasn't around either so Elena was able to freely forget, or possibly ignore, whatever medical orders she found particularly distasteful. Exercising and stretching her battered body was particularly distasteful as it was _never_ comfortable or easy.

"Lady Trevelyan, I promise, if you don't start doing your exercises at night, I'm going to mandate that you sleep in the infirmary!" He clucked at her, tugging her arm a bit farther than was comfortable. Elena moaned as her muscles pulled and stretched against her bandages. "This wouldn't be so uncomfortable if you did as you were told."

Elena rolled her shoulder and glared at him, "It wouldn't be so uncomfortable if you'd lay another healing spell on me."

Healer Varmont raised a finger in a mother-knows-best mannerism, "Now, my lady, as I've told you _before_ too many healing spells are bad for you. It is best to let your body do its own work. We took care of the _worst_ damage with spells. The rest is up to you." He handed her a small knife, "Do you mind?" He turned to wash his hands.

Elena shook her head and sliced through the knot on her bandages before handing the knife back to him. He set it aside and unwound her bandages swiftly and with practiced ease. He hardly jostled her at all. As the bandages fell away from her ribcage, Elena watched his eyes for signs of what he was about to tell her. "I'm afraid you're a rather ugly color under all this. Yellow-green and gray just are not your season." He teased lightly as he ran a cool finger down her skin, pressing here and there to test the ribs underneath for weakness. "The good news is your broken ribs are doing _much_ better and the cracked ones have settled down fine. These should be healed very soon."

She sighed, "That's what you've been telling me. I just don't think seven weeks is 'soon.'"

The healer pushed her shoulders back to a more square position, "Seven weeks is better than seven years, my dear." Elena focused on maintaining the stiff posture as Healer Varmont wound new bandages around her torso. He went slowly and carefully, setting the bandages just so on her body. He hummed while he worked. Next he moved to her arms, slicing through the bandages there with a decisive stroke. He changed the dressing on her arms, pausing to apply a new poultice to the cuts and burns left there. "These are healing nicely. I think by this time next week you won't need a poultice anymore." He smiled happily at her as he finished knotting the bandaged and motioned for her to stand, "Don't forget your exercises. I will see you in the morning." He waved her off and turned to his next patient.

Elena exited the infirmary and was almost immediately greeted by Marston. "Trevelyan! I'm glad to find you here. I trust your visit with Varmont went well? He didn't give you too hard of a time, did he?"

Elena shook her head, "Not anything more than I was expecting. How are you? You seem rather… chipper?"

Marston shrugged, "I suppose. I received a letter from my mother this morning." Elena raised her eyebrows, urging him to go on silently, "It… well, it was asking me to return home." He paused and looked at Elena's expectant face, searching it for clues as to her feelings on the matter, "So I just asked the Inquisitor to be released from duty."

"Oh." She said simply, moving off towards the main hall, thinking, "Why do you need to return home? If you don't mind my asking…." She brought a knuckle up to her mouth, sucking on it gently while she pondered this development.

Marston jammed his hands into his pockets and followed her, taking overly large and slow steps as he spoke, "I don't mind. My father needs me there to help out. He has contracted some lingering illness that is inhibiting him from working as much as he needs to provide for my family. As the only son, it's my obligation to pick up the slack, so to speak."

"How do you feel about that? I just mean, at first I thought you were happy, but now it doesn't sound exactly like that."

"Ah, well, I have mixed emotions on the matter. On the one hand, I'm glad to return home. I do miss my family. On the other… I enjoy being part of the Inquisition and your team. I'll miss the work and the people I've met here, for sure." He blew out a great puff of air. "I just… I wish I had a brother right now. Then, I wouldn't have to leave for such an indefinite amount of time."

"Having a brother isn't always the best." Elena teased as Erik dashed past them, shouting for the Iron Bull. "Watch it!" Erik turned half-way and blew her a kiss with a wink and a shouted apology.

Marston chuckled, watching the exchange, "You seem to be coming back to yourself more every day. That makes me feel better about leaving so soon after… well, you know." He finished lamely as they came to a stop at the mid-point up the stairs to the main hall. Skyhold spread out beneath them, cheerful in the bright sunlight. People milled around the market stalls near the stables, the smell of the leather and hay of the stables wafted up to them on the breeze. "I'm sorry. You're probably so tired of people bringing that up."

She shook her head, "It's fine. It happened. Ignoring it would be senseless. It's part of me so I had better learn to accept it." She sighed heavily and draped an arm around Marston's shoulders, leaning on him companionably. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"Care to spend one more night with everyone at the Herald's Rest? I'll bribe Maryden to write you a song."

"Hmmm… now that _does_ sound like a good time."

 **Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed! Sorry again for the long wait! Thanks again for the continued love on this story of mine! Love you guys! I took a break from Chapter 20 to post this so expect that to come up here soon! -Danbamina**


	20. Elena Reconnects with an Old Friend

**Author's Note: I have been trying to add on to this chapter some more but everything just seemed wrong. So I cut it down to the parts that felt right and left the rest out. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Shout Out to my new favorites/followers! Deelith29, mindlessmanic, valeliukas, and leenyx! I'm so glad you enjoy the story! Thank you for your support!**

 **To my reviewers, thank you as well! I love hearing from you! :)))**

 **AND AS ALWAYS A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN THERE IN THE PAST! I am so grateful to each of you for sticking with me through this story so far! You are amazing!**

 **Chapter 20**

The next day Elena woke to a Skyhold that was bereft of Marston. It looked the same. It felt the same. That's because it is the same. She scolded herself gently. It wasn't like Elena had expected the very stones and air of Skyhold to change because one of her friends had left its fortifications for good. Still, somehow, knowing that Marston wasn't there did make her feel rather down as she went obediently through her morning exercises before wandering over to the infirmary. The session with Healer Varmont went much better than she had hoped, though he did chastise her for drinking too much the previous night. Elena hardly felt the after-effects of the previous night's poor decisions, so she accepted the reprimand in good humor, pretending to really feel poorly for the healer's sake. This back-fired on her, though, as he forced her to drink some noxious tea that tasted like rotted Sulphur. After promising to keep her evening escapades to a minimum during her recuperation, she was finally dismissed.

She made her way into the main hall to find something to eat. Usually there was a plate of fruit and some rolls lying around. Her stomach rumbled quietly at her to hurry up and find something to eat. She was feeling much perkier today than she had in a long time. Perhaps it was the old-fashioned night out with her friends that caused this; perhaps it was the good weather and fresh mountain air taking affect. Elena wasn't about to question her good humor.

As she stepped inside the hall she noticed her brother standing off to one side of his throne deep in conversation with a taller, broad-shouldered man in plate armor. He had a shield strapped across his back and a mace dangled at his side. His large arms were crossed over his wide chest and he seemed to be conversing comfortably with Erik given their height difference. There was something vaguely familiar about the way his black hair curled against his fair skin at the nape of his neck and around his ears. The man threw his head back as he laughed loudly at some joke Erik had told him, grabbing onto Erik's shoulder and shaking him with mirth. The sound of his rich, deep voice flowed over Elena's ears like water on a duck's back. Suddenly she felt herself transported back in time… to when she had had that same hand holding onto her, steadying her as they laughed together after avoiding her father's attempts to send him back to the Circle. She could feel the warmth of his grip still; smell the faint scent of crushed pine emanating from him… He turned to look at her and as her eyes locked onto his she could feel his lips brush hers again.

"F- Fabien?" She stuttered out coming to a full stop at the foot of the raised dais beneath the throne.

Fabien blinked at her for a moment, the smile fading slowly from his face, "I'm sorry?" Erik nudged him in the ribs with his elbow, "Oh! Elena! You've grown into such a woman I hardly recognized you!" He said loudly, rushing down the few steps and enveloping her into his arms, "It has been too-long!"

"I'm glad you remember each other." Erik cut in as Fabien stepped back from her, "My sister is in delicate health after her last foray beyond Skyhold's lands. Be gentle with her you great oaf."

Fabien flashed Erik a winning smile, the two had always liked each other and had an easy friendship, "Have I ever hurt her?" Elena bristled, thinking of his unceremonious good-bye years ago.

"Just the one time... Honestly, I'm surprised she let you touch her." Erik stated laughing lightly.

Elena stepped further away from Fabien, "Yes, as I recall you left Ostwick to pursue a higher calling within the Order. Now, you've defected and joined the Inquisition?"

Fabien turned back to her, a sheepish look on his well-cut features, "You see, Elena, I did but I heard the Inquisition was in need of good, solid Templars with their absorption of the mages so I came to offer my services such as they are."

Elena crossed her arms over her chest and stuck up her nose at him, "You expect us to just let you join us?"

Fabien looked between her and Erik, "I wasn't aware you had any say in the matter. Erik's already accepted my petition to join and he's placed me under your command."

Elena looked aghast at her brother who stepped between Fabien and her, "Now, Elena, before you get all upset, think about it this way. You know Fabien well. You know how he handles himself in a fight and you know you can trust him. Plus you've just lost Marston. He's a good replacement. He can help you. Don't put on that stubborn face and pretend you're not happy to see him. Think of all the fun you two had back in Ostwick, all the trouble you got into, all the… good times."

Elena could remember the times she shared with Fabien vividly. She had felt rebellious, dangerous even with him by her side. They wreaked a quiet sort of havoc on the upper-class in Ostwick, focused mainly on her father and Adrian, and had gotten out of more close-calls than she could reliably recall. It had been fun and easy with Fabien. Thinking about herself now, she couldn't remember why eighteen year old Elena had held onto such a fierce grudge against him when he left. He had explained himself and his desires to better his life to her and then left. Of course, that would have been fine if they had been just friends as everyone believed…

"I don't care!" She snapped, turning abruptly away, "He can't be in my squadron. What would—" She stopped herself short, regrouping before she blurted out about her current emotional involvement in front of the whole hall, "I mean to say think about how it'll look! 'Oh, here comes Elena getting the experienced Templar knight to add to her ranks when the rest of us get the green horns.' I mean, really, Erik, people do talk about me and my rise through the ranks as being less-than-legitimate already especially with my record…. Didn't you even stop to think about what this will do to my reputation?"

Fabien cleared his throat, "I haven't heard anything about you since I came. Surely you know I'd be the first to duel any bastard who thinks it a good idea to openly question your right to lead." Elena shot him a vicious glare, "Perhaps we should all speak later after some food, yes?" He offered, stepping around Erik and taking one of her hands gently in his, his forest green eyes searched hers with a tenderness specific to him. She felt her knees go slightly weak as he took a half-step closer to her. With him towering over her she felt herself once again transported back in time to that moment when he—

Elena tugged her hand away, "Perhaps you should go back to your tower. That's where you're happiest." She spun on her heel and went to go locate Cullen. There were things he needed to know. Things she should tell him before he heard about them from anyone else.

Cullen sat and listened quietly to Elena's story. His face remained impassive and stoic as he heard about her new troop and their shared history. Elena felt this was a bad sign and continued to pour words into his ears explaining that even though she had once felt a great fondness for Fabien she no longer did and who would when she had someone as fine as Cullen to call her own? So really, he needn't be worried. And Fabien was an excellent fighter and really they made a very good pair and so she would be much safer away from Skyhold with him as part of her immediate travelling companions. And wouldn't Cullen much prefer that to her being vulnerable until a more suitable replacement was found? Not to mention the fact that even Erik wasn't entirely sure there was or would be a more suitable replacement than Fabien… Cullen stood slowly, listening to her babble still. He walked towards her, grasped her by the shoulders, and kissed her with great purpose, effectively stopping the flow of words pouring forth from her mouth like a waterfall.

"It's all right." He told her softly as he drew back, "I'm not worried about him. He sounds like a good fit for your squadron."

Elena blinked up at him, "What?"

Cullen stepped away from her, moving towards the door, "I'm not worried about him. You shouldn't be either. A good soldier is a good soldier. I'd suggest you listen to yourself on this matter." He passed through the doorway without another word.

Elena started after him, "Where are we going?"

Cullen looked back at her, "Hmm? Oh, I've got a meeting with the Inquisitor to discuss the Arbor Wilds. I'm afraid you're not invited to it, but you can escort me there if you'd like."

Elena shook her head, "No. That's all right. I'll just… find something to do."

"The recruits could use some extra trainers if you're feeling up to it. Or I'm sure Quartermaster Segrit could use a hand with inventory." Cullen offered as they entered Solas's rotunda. "I know you hate being idle." Elena nodded and kissed him on the cheek as they parted ways at the main hall.

Fabien was at the sparring circle in the courtyard. He was doing his best to out-smart Porteur, a wily opponent. Years of playing the Game had made Porteur unusually adept at planning out strategies for one-to-one combat. He lacked the ability in larger numbers finding the myriad of possibilities with so many moving pieces difficult to navigate. Or at least that's what he had explained to Elena when she had asked why he wasn't a leader of his own squadron after a particularly difficult duel. She watched with interest as the younger, more lithe Porteur darted around Fabien's towering frame with ease, but Fabien was never behind the smaller Orlesian. He had been taught well by his masters. Others had gathered around the pair, pressing close against the wooden fence, cheering and jeering as they saw fit. Some even openly heckled the duelers. After what seemed an exceptionally long amount of time the pair came to the conclusion that the match was an equal draw and both men lowered their swords. Porteur noticed Elena in the crowd and saluted her, winking playfully as Reeves descended upon him. He bore the brunt of her fussing with gentle smiles and tugged her out of the ring so the next pair could enter.

Fabien, on the other hand, walked over to where she stood leaning against the fence and hopped onto the top-most rail. He stuck his sword into the ground before him and smiled charmingly at her. The white of his teeth flashing against his dark, close-cropped beard attractively, "That was some fun! That Porteur of yours is quite the talented fighter. With the three of us, we should be able to form a reasonable defense for your archer." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Though, isn't she the Elf over there?" He jerked his thumb over his shoulder in Poretur and Reeves's general direction.

Elena nodded, reaching out and pulling him gently from the railing so the next duel could begin, "Yes, she is Elven. What of it?"

He shrugged his broad shoulders and rolled his neck, "Oh nothing. She just may not need so much coverage. Are you sure you want a mace wielder with you? Two swords, a mace, and an archer doesn't seem like a very balanced party."

She rolled her eyes, "It's just like you to think only of yourself at moments like this. I've a whole squadron to choose from. If we need more variety I can ask someone to switch out."

"Have you ever?" He asked, when Elena blushed he nodded knowingly, "I didn't think so. You're like your brother. You get attached to who you travel with and don't want anyone else. The only difference is he's wise enough to fully balance his party."

"I don't have to fight Corypheus. My party is largely for reconnaissance and an occasional small skirmish. We will do well enough as we are."

"Apparently you haven't." Elena felt her whole body turn into a frown at this remark. Then Fabien clapped her on the back, sending her forward a step, "Not to worry. I'm here now. You won't have any of those kinds of problems anymore." He moved off, picking his sword up and twirling it, "You want to come to the Templar tower with me? I need to pick up my mace and go to see the Quartermaster."

Elena shook her head, "I better not."

Fabien stopped moving, "Oh? Would you accompany me as my guide then? It's only my second day here and I'm afraid I still don't know where everything is." His forest green eyes quietly begged while his words were so polite. Elena knew that likely after his visit to the Quartermaster he had a wicked plan brewing. His eyes never got that soft, liquid look unless there was trouble and mischief to be had.

Her resolve to keep a professional distance between them relaxed at the familiar sight, "Fine. But after I will need to go back to my quarters for a rest."

Fabien rolled his eyes as they started off towards the Quartermaster's office, "Of course, of course, you are a delicate flower. You best not get too much sun or else you might wilt."

"I am not."

"Really? Judging by the amount of bandages I can see peeking out of your collar and sleeves you are…" He twirled a finger at the white linen strips crisscrossing Elena's exposed chest and wrists. "But as I've said before, you've no need to worry about being delicate any longer. You're knight in shining armor is here to protect you once again!" He struck a heroic pose outside of Segrit's tower base.

She shrugged; there was no use in trying to explain what had happened to Fabien when he was in this kind of mood, "What do you need from here?" Elena queried pushing the door open to admit them into the torch-lit interior.

"Oh! Lieutenant Shaw, I wasn't expecting you so soon." Segrit fussed, bustling around and gathering some packages together. "You're lucky; your supplies just came in." He set the packages down on his work table and picked up a board with papers attached to it. He rifled through them until he found one and presented it to Fabien with a quill, "Sign here, please."

Fabien took the quill and signed the parchment, "Thank you for your speed on this matter." He smiled warmly at Segrit as he gathered the packages into his arms and then left. Elena waved to the Quartermaster as she hastily followed her massive friend.

"You could have warned me you were going." She huffed behind him. Her ribs ached as she sped along behind his back. Fabien was moving quickly up the stairs towards the new Templar tower and she was finding it rather difficult to get her healing muscles to cooperate. "Can we please stop?"

Fabien halted at the top of the stairs and turned to look at her. Upon seeing her half-way down the stairs and leaning forward, bracing herself on her knees, he sighed and set his things down before descending to her level. "I was kidding about you being delicate, you know." He said calmly as he picked her up, cradling her against his broad chest gently. "It seems I was a bit more accurate than I thought. What exactly happened to you?"

Elena shook her head, refusing to meet his gaze as he placed her on the battlements, "It was bad." She leaned against the wall and let the breeze cool her face. Fabien stood next to her in silence, waiting. "Listen all you need to know is I got captured and it wasn't an easy imprisonment. I'm still recovering from it so I can't move about like a giant. I've got to go slowly up stairs and such. And you're not allowed to pick me up again. I don't like it." Though, if she had been being totally honestly with herself she did like it a little bit. It was always nice to be so high up and so safe at the same time.

Fabien chuckled, "You always say that. And yet, you never protest when I do." He stepped closer to her, "Do you think about what might have happened had I not left?" He asked, his voice a low, sultry whisper. "Where we might be? What we might be doing?"

"I don't need to wonder about things like that. I know what would have happened." She replied in what she hoped to be an obstinate voice, but something about his closeness, the timbre of his voice, the distant longing in his eyes, caused her to waiver.

"Oh? Care to enlighten me?"

Elena swallowed and took a half-step back, "Father would have seen to your removal from the Circle and we would never have seen each other again. Adrian told me he had had it in the works for months before you left. He had just needed a couple more days to finalize some things."

Fabien frowned and looked away from her, "I always knew he was scheming against us. Staid old bastard that he is… Do you really believe Adrian?" Elena made a noncommittal noise, "I see." He turned and gathered his things, "I'm going to the Tower now. Are you going to be all right to make it there? It's a lot of stairs."

Elena made a face at him, "Oh ha ha. Yes, I'm coming. Just walk slower you stinking moose." Fabien smiled brightly and turned to go walking at a snail's pace, "Oh get on with it!"

 **Author's Note: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! I will write again soooooon! Love you guys! Peace and blessings! -Danbamina**


	21. Good Luck

**Chapter 21**

Elena tugged at the last knot on her saddle bags. This trip to Ferelden had been sprung upon her at the last minute by Cullen. He had said that he had meant to invite her two weeks ago, but she had been unfit to travel then and he didn't want to get her hopes up. Since Healer Varmont had given her the official go-ahead for light riding the previous week, she had been out doing patrols around the settlements every day. The beleaguered healer had found that riding had been a boon to Elena's recuperation and thoroughly encouraged the practice. When Cullen had noticed this new addition to her routine, he had quietly informed her that he was planning on attending to some work in Ferelden and wondered if she would like to leave Skyhold with him. Elena had responded in the affirmative so quickly that Cullen laughed out-right.

Fabien leaned against the post her horse was tied to casually watching her prepare for her journey, "I don't know why you're leaving. Won't that be awfully hard on you? Ya know, health wise?"

Elena sighed and rolled her head over to look at him, "What in the world are you talking about? Healer Varmont said it was fine. I said it was fine. Cullen said it was fine. Erik said it was fine. The only person who is even remotely worried is you. So what are you _actually_ talking about?"

Fabien straightened himself up to his full, massive height and sauntered over, propping one arm on the saddle's seat. He bent forward slightly at the waist, bringing his face a little closer to Elena's. She was glad of this because sometimes it caused her neck to ache always peering up into his dark-bearded, grinning face. "All right, I'll tell you. But only because you're about to leave and I'd hate for us to fight before your departure." Elena folded her arms across her chest and waited patiently, "I don't want you to go."

"Oh? Why not?"

"If you go to Ferelden with the Commander then what am I supposed to do?"

"Your job? Erik's already assigned you the patrol details for the settlements. You and the squadron are to patrol the area and help train the new recruits when time allows." Elena stated simply, reaching up to tap his forehead with a finger, "Or has that already slipped out of your thick skull?"

Fabien batted her hand away, "Ah, no. But how _boring_. Who is going to do _fun_ stuff with me?" He followed her around to the other side of her horse.

"Porteur would be up for some fun. I bet you could even convince Reeves to join in."

He groaned, slumping his body forward melodramatically, "It's not the _same_!"

"Why must you do this every time I have a trip and you're not invited?"

"I do _not_ 'do this' every time you have a trip to go on that I can't!"

Elena paused in her work and counted off the incidents on her fingers, "The trip to Kirkwall, the trip to Nevarra, the trip to Highever, and every other trip my family ever made me take ever. It always starts out as something that could possibly be considered a legitimate excuse and devolves into you will simply miss me and don't want me to go." She wagged her finger at him, "I know your game, Lieutenant Shaw. You're not going to convince me to stay. So stop."

Fabien paused, "You've found me out." Elena nodded, "Will you miss me, too?" He poked out his lower lip in an exaggerated pout, twirling a finger along the saddle seat and giving Elena his saddest look.

Elena had to admit that he did look absolutely pathetic, "I suppose," She told him and quickly added, "but I'm going to be busy helping Cullen so I should manage to survive."

Fabien opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted, "Ah, Elena, there you are." Cullen's warm, refined voice stated calmly as he arrived with his horse readied to go. "It's time to leave now. Have you said your good byes?" His eyes slid over to Fabien meaningfully. Fabien stepped closer to Elena, looping an arm around her shoulders familiarly.

Elena ducked from beneath Fabien's arm, "I have. Fabien, do you mind giving me a boost?" She turned to mount her horse. Fabien wordlessly lifted her onto her mount.

He remained close by her horse's side as she settled herself fully in the saddle. His head came up to Elena's ribs so he didn't have to look very far up to meet her gaze, "Be safe. Come back swiftly. I will miss you terribly." He told her, his forest green eyes full of desperate sincerity. If he could have gotten away with it, Elena was sure he would have kissed her, but instead he patted her thigh and backed away, blowing a kiss at her. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and turned to march himself up the stairs to the main keep. Elena watched his back retreat for a minute, feeling her heart ache with an old sensation. Cullen, meanwhile, had mounted his horse and was waiting a few paces away for her to join him. When she turned to look at him, the ache disappeared and was replaced with a lightness that made her heart feel full-to-bursting. She smiled warmly as she urged her mount forward and joined him for their journey. He returned the smile and they started off together, chatting amiably as they went.

Cullen's business in Ferelden didn't take him long to finish once they arrived. Something about having the Commander personally present caused proceedings to progress remarkably fast. It seemed to her that when Cullen entered a space, the troops there looked a little more like soldiers than they had before. They stood at stricter attention; their expressions were more serious, even their manner of speaking was more militaristic. Frankly, she liked it when he would stop walking and shout at the training groups to tighten up that line! Or use your shield dammit! It's for blocking not for looking pretty on your arm!

She felt like she was part of the action again going around the camps with him. She could have very-well been idle while he took care of his business and still felt that way, but he insisted she come to every meeting. Occasionally he would ask her to verify some information from a report from Skyhold and she would speak knowledgably to the gathered officers. The older men would nod their heads and resume their conversation with Cullen. Elena was never quite sure what the dealings he had mentioned were, but nonetheless, she was impressed at the speed and efficiency with which he completed them. Now they stood side-by-side watching troops finish their training for the day. Around them the bustle of camp was winding down and the smell of ram-stew wafted over to them from the mess tent.

"Would you care to go on a short ride with me?" Cullen asked quietly. Elena turned to face him and nodded, "Good. Follow me." He moved off and brought her to a place where their horses stood, ready and waiting for them. He helped her into her saddle and then swung up into his. They trotted off, following a winding road to a large pond. A short pier jutted out into the water at the end of which sat a crate with a burning lantern propped on it. Probably left there by whoever had most recently used the pier. They dismounted and Cullen took the reins from her, "Go on, take a look around, I'll just be a moment."

Elena watched him go a short ways off and begin to picket the horses, "Are you sure you don't want me to help you?" Cullen waved her off, sinking a stake into the ground. She shrugged and went over to the short pier, leaning against a piling at the end of it. She surveyed the pond, appreciating its natural beauty. The sun glinted off the water creating small pools of golden light as it reflected its dying light back to her from between the water lilies spread around the pond in clumps of varying sizes. Cullen joined her shortly afterwards and leaned himself against the piling opposite her. They stood in companionable silence for a moment, watching the sun sink lower in the sky.

"What is this place?" Elena asked at length.

Cullen straightened himself, "I grew up not far from here. This place was always quiet."

"Did you come here often?" She inquired, trying to figure out why he had brought her there.

"I loved my siblings. They were very loud. I would come here to clear my head. Of course, they always found me… eventually." He told her with a gentle smile as he remembered his simpler childhood with apparent fondness.

"I can understand that." Elena replied, thinking of how Adrian and Erik used to play out mock battles in the halls of their father's house. How she had longed for a quiet place to go to when they inevitably broke something and brought both of their parents bearing down on them. "It's beautiful."

Cullen was silent for a minute, looking out at the water as the pools of golden light faded and the sky turned a soft dusky purple, bathing them in its subtle glow. "The last time I was here was the day I left for Templar training." He began, still looking out at the water. Elena turned to face him more fully, stepping a little closer to him to hear his hushed words better, "My brother gave me this. It just happened to be in his pocket, but he said it was for luck." He held out his hand, resting in his gloved palm was a golden coin, "Templars are not supposed to carry such things. Our faith should see us through." He added closing his fist over it and looking at her directly, his eyes were liquid honey in the dying light. Elena felt something deep inside of her heart begin to stir as he stepped closer to her.

"You broke the rules? I'm shocked and abhorred." She teased.

Cullen bristled slightly at the remark, "Until a year ago I was very good at following them… most of the time. This was the only thing I took from Ferelden that the Templars didn't give me." He took her hand and pressed the coin into her palm, folding her fingers around it. "Humor me. Maybe this way you can keep some luck about you."

Elena could feel the cool coin grow warm in her hand, "I'm honored to accept this. I'll keep it close always." Cullen smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Elena closed the distance between them and lost herself in his warm embrace. It was nice to be alone without worrying about other people interrupting them. She realized this was their first time being truly alone since they had met almost a year ago now. It was a brief kiss and as Cullen pulled away from her, Elena felt her heart sink just a little bit. She had wanted the kiss to continue.

"I have a confession." Cullen began, looking embarrassed, "I didn't bring you to Ferelden just for company and to give you a good luck charm." He admitted quickly as if the words were burning his lips and tongue as they fled from his mouth.

"Oh? Why else did you bring me with you, then?"

"A number of smaller reasons and one larger reason."

"Now you're being coy."

"I am not. I—I just don't know how to ask you this. I've never done this sort of thing with a woman before. It's all very new and I don't want to ruin anything."

"Try it plainly, then."

Cullen took a breath and let it out slowly, "I was going to visit my family while I was here. I was hoping you would want to come along with me. Mia would be ecstatic to see us both."

"Does Mia know we'll be dropping by?"

He let out a short burst of air through his nose, "Actually, no. I forgot to write to her."

Elena could feel her mother's disapproving eyes, hear the etiquette lessons about visiting another person's home, and she almost told Cullen what her mother would have told her. _A noble lady does not go calling unannounced._ Instead of saying that, she smiled broadly and flung herself into his arms for a strong hug, "Then, let's go and surprise her!"

Cullen stumbled backwards, teetering dangerously on the edge of the pier for a moment before catching his balance, "All right, we will… first thing in the morning."

"After breakfast." Elena reminded him, tapping his nose with her forefinger playfully.

"After breakfast." He chuckled, guiding them down the pier and back to their horses.

 **Author's Note: This one is rather short. I think if I tinkered with it anymore, I would have just ended up scrapping the whole thing, and I rather like it how it is now. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **I've got some shout-outs! Thanks to Belbelanne for the review! Thanks to my new followers TrimusicaDrag00n90, Edward Cullen's Girl, and 007. I appreciate the love!**

 **And to all my continued followers and readers, thank you for your continued support and for sticking with me through this! I love all of you and I appreciate all of you! I hope that you guys have a terrific holiday season and your vacations/breaks/trips are long, restful, fun, and full of good things!**

 **Peace and Blessings!**

 **Danbamina**


	22. Meet the Family

**Chapter 22**

Elena looked down from the crest of the hill. Spread below her was the Rutherford's farm, or so the sign at the entrance boldly proclaimed. It was beautifully carved with sheep frolicking in wooden pastures and even tiny replicas of the buildings. She noted all of this as they walked by. Cullen didn't seem to be in a particular hurry as they meandered down the main lane past real sheep pastures, and finally arrived at the main body of the farm. A good-sized house stood in the middle of the yard, around it was a couple of large barns, a smaller outbuilding whose use was of mysterious intent, a vegetable garden, and even a separate flower patch which bloomed with late-season foliage. They pulled their horses to a stop and the animals stamped their feet impatiently as an eager sheep-dog wove in and around their legs barking at them. From the front door of the house burst a woman hollering at the dog. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a bun on the top of her head from which wild bangs had worked their way out and framed her face. She wore a simple blue gown and her brown apron was splotched with the evidence of cooking. She was so busy fussing at the dog to shush up already! That she didn't notice who had arrived until Cullen stood before her, hands on his hips. She stopped mid-fuss and stared at him, obviously surprised.

What happened next, Elena could not tell exactly, her view was blocked by her horse. There was the sound of a brief kerfuffle and as she came around the side of her mount, she saw Cullen being enveloped into the woman's arms in a fierce hug. Elena watched from the relative safety of her horse's head as the woman proceeded into a loud scolding. Cullen interrupted whenever he could, but always seemed to get cut short. She smiled watching him be cowed into a state of quiet while the woman continued on her rant. At length she stopped and brushed his shoulders free of dust and listened patiently while Cullen spoke much more quietly to her. Elena knew she was found out when the woman's face split into a large smile and she zipped over to wrap Elena in a hug as well. The speed of her arrival startled the horse and caused it to side step conveniently away from them, giving the woman more room for her crushing embrace.

Mia let go of Elena's shoulders and held her at arm's length. She examined Elena's face carefully while Elena did the same to her. Mia had warm brown eyes and the same golden hair as Cullen, although hers was long and tied up in a bun on top of her head. She wore a simple cotton dress fit for the warm weather with a heavier wollen apron tied over it. The apron was smutched with flour but that didn't diminish its obvious workmanship. Mia smiled broadly at Elena drastically changing her features from serious matriarch to easy going lady. She nodded her head once firmly and then spun around, dragging Elena along with her to Cullen's side. Elena listened intently as Mia began to pour forth an absolutely astounding amount of conversation as the three of them made their way inside the big house. Even though Elena tried her best to catch and understand what Mia was saying it seemed that large chunks were going in one ear and out the other. She cast a glance at Cullen for help, but he was also engrossed in the talk and didn't notice her.

"Well, yes, there is still a war on, Mia. We are just taking a short leave. I've just completed some business nearby and it didn't take as long as I had anticipated. Aren't you glad I'm home?" Cullen replied gently teasing his sister as they entered a large kitchen through a side door of the house.

"Of course I'm glad you're home! It's been so long! But Cullen! You've brought a noble lady to our home and we're not ready for that kind of visit. Why didn't you write me!?" Mia fussed back as she pushed Elena gently into a chair by a beautifully carved table. "I mean, is it really so hard? 'Mia, I will be coming by on such and such date with Lady Trevelyan. I will see you then. Cull.' That took all of ten seconds to come up with and say. What? It'd take two minutes to write and another one to send?" She handed Elena a steaming cup of tea and plunked a plate of brown bread and creamy yellow butter down in front of her. Elena reached out and took a slice of bread, spreading it carefully with the butter. She watched, entranced by the pair of them. Had she ever had such an easy relationship with her brothers?

"Mia, I didn't know when this visit would happen if it would happen at all. Do you propose I learn to tell the future? Am I not welcome in my own home?" Cullen answered her coming to stand behind Elena's chair. She felt his hands rest on the top rung of the ladder back.

Mia rolled her eyes and turned to Elena, "Can you believe him? Doesn't know when he's going to be running around Ferelden and near to Honnleath? Isn't he in charge of that sort of thing?"

Elena chuckled around her mouthful of bread and swallowed hastily, "He is but it isn't that simple this time." Elena held up her bandaged wrists, for whatever reason those injuries were taking longer than expected to heal. "I have been… unwell for awhile and only just became well enough to travel comfortably."

"Oh, don't you take the blame." She turned back to the cooking she'd abandoned when she came out to greet them, "He could have written and sent a messenger at any point. He's always been bad about writing, though. Did you know he didn't even write us after Kirkwall? No. We had to find out from someone else that he'd survived that debacle."

Cullen sighed, "I've apologized for that countless times, Mia. Must we keep dredging it up?"

"I'll stop bringing it up when you remember to keep in touch."

Mia opened the door admitting Elena into a small bedroom. "I'm sorry it's not as grand as you're used to." She said as Elena went inside and sank gratefully onto the bed. The room was small but it wasn't cramped. It wasn't unlike her room back at Skyhold.

She smiled at Mia, "Thank you. This is perfect." She said honestly. She bounced lightly on the bed, feeling the down feathers of the mattress shift beneath her pleasantly. The covers were of thick, soft gray wool woven with bursts of bright red and gold throughout. The pillows and sheets peeking out at the top of the carved wooden bed were of simple undyed cotton. She liked this bed far more than the one she had back at Skyhold. This bed belonged to a home and it was as if the feeling of familiarity that came with a home had seeped into it and in turn was seeping into her. Elena had never spoken truer words to another person than she had just done.

Mia seemed to realize this and relaxed a slight bit. Elena hadn't even noticed that the older woman was uncomfortable in her singular presence. "I'm glad it suits you. Rosalie will be pleased. I'll leave you to freshen up for supper." Mia left the door open as she exited the room. Elena went and closed it so she could dress for supper in peace.

It had been a long time since she had had to change clothes for her evening meal. Even in Ostwick the tradition hadn't been mandated unless company was over. Running a lesser noble house took far more work from the actual nobility than most people knew. Often there simply wasn't enough time for things like changing clothes to eat a meal. Mother wouldn't stand for unclean clothes no matter the occasion, though, and Elena's travelling gear was in an unacceptably disgraceful state. She could practically hear her mother's admonitions as she slipped out of her dirty shirt and into a cleaner one. There wasn't much she could do for her breeches, though. The time spent on the road and sleeping on the hard ground with soldiers had meant they were all equally dirty this close to the end of their trip.

She ran a comb through her tangled locks and carefully set her braids back behind her ears to hold her hair out of her eyes better. The rest fell in gentle raven colored waves down her back. It really was too long for fighting, yet she found herself admiring it. Perhaps if she wove some spiked straps into it… or pinned it fully up she could keep it. She pondered this as she took out clean bandages for her wrists and other assorted injuries that still needed healing salve applied to them daily. Healer Varmont had threatened her very life if she failed to do this once she left Skyhold and Elena was not fool enough to test his patience any further than she already had. _Although, it would be fun to see what he'd actually do._ She bared her left wrist and made a face at the marks the shackles had made in them. Would the raw skin circling her wrist turn into smooth, white scare tissue as some of her other injuries had? Or would it heal normally? She didn't think herself vain enough to truly care. However, if she were to be totally honest, she was vain enough to hope for the latter.

There was a soft knock at the door. "Yes? Come in." she said without thinking. A younger version of Mia entered the room, dropping into a lovely curtsy. "Please, don't do that." Elena said hastily reaching to help the young woman straighten up. Her bandage unwound and dropped to the floor as she did so. She cursed under her breath and went to retrieve it but found the young woman had already done so.

"Do you need help with this?" The woman asked holding the bandage out to Elena.

"No, thank you." Elena replied taking it and starting over. "I don't believe we have met yet?" She said looking up at the woman without raising her head.

The other woman started "Oh, no! I'm Rosalie. I'm Cullen's younger sister."

Elena tied off the bandage and began on her other wrist, "It's a pleasure to meet you. If you'll give me but a moment more I will finish and properly greet you."

Rosalie shook her head, "That's not necessary, my lady. I just came to let you know that dinner is almost ready and to show you back to the kitchen."

Elena nodded, "If you insist; though, I am sure I could find it on my own."

Rosalie bobbed her head, "That's what I told Mia, but she wouldn't have it any other way. She says that since you're noble we've got to do things with the best of manners we can manage."

Elena rolled her eyes and stood, trying futilely to rid her breeches of dust as she did so, "I am hardly noble. Trevelyan is a house of the Free Marches. We aren't in the Free Marches so my title means little here. Feel free to ignore it. I know I do."

Rosalie chuckled, leading the way from the room, "A noble who doesn't want to be noble?"

Elena shrugged, "I suppose you could say that…."

"No wonder my brother is so enamored with you. You are very refreshing." Rosalie turned a corner and spread her hands wide, "Here is the kitchen. I know it was a dreadfully long walk to get here."

"The absolute longest journey I have ever taken." Elena agreed solemnly as she seated herself next to Cullen. Rosalie chuckled as she busied herself with setting out the serving dishes. Elena waited patiently while several sumptuous smelling dishes were set before her and Cullen. Once the table was fully set, Mia went out and shouted for the others to come in for the meal. Once everyone was seated and introductions made, the dishes were passed around. Elena piled her plate full of roasted chicken, vegetables, mashed potatoes with gravy, and even a fresh roll still steaming from the oven topped off with dollops of soft, yellow butter. Everyone fell silent as they tucked into their meals. Elena hadn't had food served to her this way in so long that it made everything taste more wonderful. She sat in contented silence, munching away at her plate.

"So, Cullen, how is the Inquisition?" Rosalie asked after everyone's plate was empty. "Are they treating you well enough?"

Cullen leaned back, clasping his hands on top of the table. "Rosalie, I command its army. I think it goes without saying I get treated well-enough. I worry about my men, though. Those that are closest to Skyhold, I know are well-taken-care-of. However, the ones farther afield, say for instance in the Exalted Plains, those are the ones I worry about most. Communications between us and them are often so far-spread apart that I wonder should an emergency arise would anyone be able to help them?"

"Surely the Inquisitor could?" Mia added in, "There's no reason to worry when he's about from what I've heard in the village."

Rosalie nodded, leaning in closer to Elena, "And I heard he's quite the looker, your Inquisitor, is that true?"

"Rosalie! You know that her ladyship is the Inquisitor's sister! I doubt she has ever considered what his appearance looks like to little strumpets like you!" Mia flicked a crumb of bread at her younger sister playfully.

Rosalie grimaced, "Oh, she doesn't like all that 'your ladyship' nonsense, Mia! Just call her Elena! That's her name! And of course she doesn't _think_ of her brother as attractive but she's got eyes and so do we. Certainly, they bear some resemblance to each other!"

Elena giggled, "Is this what it's like to have sisters?" she asked Cullen quietly while Mia and Rosalie loudly bickered about Erik's looks and the validity of Elena's opinion on his looks.

Cullen smiled, "I'm afraid so. Rosalie is still in that stage of life where young women look at male heroes with an extra air of awe, it would seem. I thought she had grown out of it from Mia's letters…."

"You actually respond to her?"

Cullen's cheeks reddened a bit as he stuttered, "I—I mean, she's—she's my sister. I have to write to her occasionally, don't I?"

Elena smirked at him, "When did you last write to her?" Cullen fell silent, "That recently? No wonder you are so up to date."

"And another thing, Rosalie, you are too old to be pining after men you've never even seen a picture of much less met!" Mia finished off her argument with a decisive nod and crossed her arms over her chest, "Now I won't hear no more wheedling information out of her ladyship about her brother or else no dessert!"

Rosalie looked as if she'd been slapped across the face, "Oh, but Mia! Dessert is the best part!"

"May I cut in?" Elena chimed in, when both women fell silent and looked at her she continued, "I'm afraid that even if Rosalie had met Erik, she never would have stood a chance."

"See? The Inquisitor has a noble lady friend. I imagine there'll be a wedding at the end of all this!" Mia reached out and tugged Rosalie's earlobe before turning back to the stove to retrieve dessert.

"Oh, there's no noble lady." Elena said slyly looking Rosalie steadily in the eyes, "There is a noble man, however."

"GET _OUT_!" Rosalie squealed, leaning over the table to get closer to Elena. Elena smiled warmly at her and began to explain about Erik's predilections and Dorian. Mia protested the whole time. Cullen went very quiet and eventually excused himself muttering something about not wanting to intrude on women's talk. Eventually the conversation drew to a natural close and everyone wandered back to their rooms to settle down for the night's rest. Elena decided that she rather liked it here. Home had never been a particularly warm place for her back in Ostwick, but here, in Ferelden, home felt much more like home. As she drifted into sleep she wondered if she would ever have something like it.


End file.
